First Kill
by MarahSoore
Summary: Going to Hamlet Georgia isn't Lynn's idea of 'getting away' after her mother's death. And between her wifi addicted brother and her glory days reliving Father, Lynn's only rock is the strange boy next door, Jonathan Crane. A local girl is found dead and Jonathan and Lynn go on the hunt for the killer. Can Lynn keep Jonathan sane? Or will he start his path to becoming Scarecrow?
1. Chapter 1

First Kill

Chapter 1

I lost count of the number of churches that were passing by. It felt like every mile I would see a little white church, or a church made out of six or seven buildings. How could there be that many churches in this small of an area? But the answer was already in front of me. I was in the south.

Georgia to be exact. A state that for most of my life was reserved to thoughts of southern belles flouncing about a plantation. The modern idea of Georgia wasn't a good one. I imagined small towns who try to hold onto their honor by painting their houses with cheap paint or better yet, by putting stupid garden statues in their brown grass lawns.

My twin brother Logan was absorbed in his phone. He was pounding the screen trying to keep up with the gossip in Gotham. Him and I look a lot alike. He has bright red hair that's cut short, looking very puckish. We also have grey eyes, which by the way is a bitch if you want to know what's going to look good on your eyes, get with the program Almay, you give blue, brown, green, and 'hazel' eyes color palette, where's the love for grey eyes?.

Dad on the other hand was keeping quiet. I wondered how he was holding up. This was his crazy idea. But that doesn't mean I should be angry. The man is going through something that I hope I'll never have to go through.

See, Mom died two weeks ago on friday. She didn't get gunned down in some mugging gone wrong. Hell she wasn't even run over by a car. My mom had a brain aneurysm and didn't wake up one morning. Logan and I were pulled out of school to bury her. You don't know what it's like to lose a parent. Or maybe you do. And if you do and you've had a good relationship then you know the pain you feel. After two weeks it's become a sinking feeling. Sure we're on vacation, but when I get home Mom's still not going to be there. I've been told it's best to take it one day at a time. I guess that'll work for now.

"Lynn, what's the next part of Betty's directions?" My dad says. Since we got across the mason-dixon line my father's accent has been sliding every other sentence till suddenly after we passed North Carolina he was in full lilting sound. Logan was passing me looks over the glow of his phone.

I pulled out the computer paper that somehow through this trip ended with a chocolate stain on it. "Right, so once we get to Hamlet take a left on Flint street, then take a left after the third church on the right."

"She didn't write that." Logan said leaning over. He scanned the paper and flopped back onto his side of the car. "My god, we're doomed. How many churches are there in that town?"

Dad shrugged. "When I lived here it was seven churches. But the city had grown a bit."

Now I could see the city. Okay it's more of a town… no scratch that. It's a village. Everything in this place is run down. As we drive down the main road I see an antiques store that has a closed sign, maybe they're open on the weekends. Then on the opposite side is a fish and tackle store.

"Dad," Logan said looking around. "where's the starbucks?" He was suddenly frantic looking.

"Don't worry." I said smiling. "I bet the rednecks will know."

Dad looked at us through the rear view mirror. "Kids. This was my home town. I want you to not nag about it."

I didn't complain out loud. We'd had a fight a few days ago when he said I was going to be spending my summer in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Did Dad care? Nope. He was so excited that his old friends wanted to see him. So instead of his kids getting to stay in Gotham and have lives, Dad is shipping us with him here. I saw it's unfair, but I've had the conversation and have lost.

As we pull onto Flint street I notice there are kids my age. They're all sitting on the back of trucks at a small burger joint. Well it's not Starbucks, but at least the food looks edible. Logan on the other hand started to get his charming smile on.

He moved closer. "Hey Lynn, what do you say we get ourselves a down home fling or two?"

I looked at him scrunching my face. "Are you serious?"

"What? Just think, we'll walk into school in August and be asked. 'what did you do this summer' then break out and say. 'Well I had a hot romance with a southern girl who had bright blond hair and wore a bikini with short shorts, just like in all the country videos."

Logan looked at me like he had made the best plan to save his popularity at school. Good for him, but that's a game I didn't want to play, at least not that way.

"When we get settled could I use Betty's phone to call David?"

David, David Sterling. He was the cutest boy in my class. He was rugged and was the kind of guy who would help sick puppies if he had to. I just loved him, only I'm so not his type. See, Logan got the sporty jock look, me I'm sixty percent marshmallow and forty percent pizza flavored Combos, no was I could date a guy like David. I would need to drop my calorie count and start doing push ups to be as physically fit as he is.

"Sure." Dad said taking a left onto this small two lane road. "What's the last instruction?"

Logan snatched the paper form me. "Go past the old Keeny house, we'll be at the dead end."

"Old Keeny house?" I asked.

"Just the neighbors. Not sure who lives there anymore." Dad said.

Again we became quiet as I watched the fields pass us. Corn, soybeans, corn again, some large leafy plant that I guessed was tobacco. I didn't know they still grew tobacco down here? But smokers need their fix somehow.

Just as I'm about to lose hope I see it. A white beam that looks like it's going to pierce the sky. A church out here? I look closer and can see a whole compound through the tall corn that blocks my view.

"Is that the Keeny house?"

"Yeah," Dad said. "It's more like an estate. That families been on that property since before the founding of the U.S, cool right?"

"Same family lives there?'

"Yep. Though if you can help it, don't go over there. I think Martha is still alive and that woman is mean. She gives the south a bad name I'll tell you what."

Logan shot me a look. Yep, we lost our dad to his accent. The only cure would be good smoggy air from Gotham, and that was a few months away.

I look back outside and see a scarecrow hoisted above the tall grass. He looked like a sad fellow, his red flannel shirt had hay poking out of it and the large straw hat had holes from neglect. Looking at the lone figure I didn't notice we were slowing down.

"This is it! Home sweet home."

I looked at the white farm house. It was a snap shot of an old 50's commercial or something equally as white bread america. The house had three stories to it. The shutters to the house were painted a glossy black. There was tin on half of the roof and I could see lacy curtains in the window.

Logan picked his phone up as I saw our Aunt bustle out of the house. Aunt Betty, I'd only had half understood phone calls, and pictures of her when she was my age to go off of. She was a plump lady with blond hair that she had perfectly placed, like in a commercial. She was dressed in a t-shirt and mommy jeans that were stuffed in cowboy boots.

I looked at Logan as the two of us stepped out of the car. As soon as I did I let out a groan. Last stop we took was when we entered Georgia, over two hours ago. I stretched as Dad gave Betty a platonic hug.

"Oh my goodness." she said. Her accent hung so heavy that I thought her voice was made out of glue. "You must be Lynn. Are you growing up to be a big girl!" She said rushing up to me.

I prepared myself for her hug, and sadly I didn't prepare enough. The woman could hug like a bear! She let me go and I had to take a few deep breaths of air.

Logan didn't have it any better. Betty though looked unfazed as she marched us up to the house. As I walked up I noticed cats running about. Oh god, she isn't a crazy cat lazy? I swallowed my pride as we walked into a house cut from a southern living magazine.

Everything rang of southern charm, that could be good. Maybe I could learn how to bake or something useful this summer.

Logan took one look around the house shrugged and pulled his phone out. He took a moment and looked at me. "I can't get signal?" he muttered.

Betty turned to us. "So Steven you'll be in the guest room. Logan Lynn follow me."

She moved us up a set of stairs and to the second floor. The Southern living feel was upstairs as well. Betty waddled along until she came to a room that screamed boy. It only needed a bb gun on the wall to make it complete.

"Logan you'll be here. It was your father's room when he was a boy. Ain't it just darling?" She said patting him on the back.

Logan was still looking at his phone. "Umm Aunt Betty, what's the name for the Wifi?" He asked.

Betty didn't answer him. "Now you kids will have a ton to do out here. You can go for long walks, head into town, there's a nice burger joint that I used to go to when I was a girl. Also you can help me around the house. Now I clean the house often, everything has it's place. You make a mess you get to clean it up. Ya hear?"

Logan and I nodded. Betty took us to another set of stairs and as I slowly walked up Logan looked at me. "I'm not seeing any Wifi. Hell I'm not seeing any computers."

The attic had been turned into a picture of sweet sixteen fashion. Everything as a soft shade of pink or white. The bed was framed by a large canopy that looked similar to a Pinterest DIY picture. The furniture looked original, but painted in a creamy white. The windows had large window seats that sat in front of large swinging windows.

"Now this was my room when I was a girl. I've redone everything to sure a young womans tastes."

I looked around the room. I could feel the pink attack my system. Oh god, there were even cute baby pictures on the vanity. I looked over at Betty and tried to put on the biggest smile I could. "Thank Aunt Betty. It's wonderful."

Betty nodded like she knew this room was Gods gift to a teen. She moved closer. "Now The roof outside the windows have a lovely view over our farm and Mrs. Keeny's farm. Go on and look."

"Aunt Betty?" Logan said again. "What's your wifi called?"

"Shh Logan, don't you see your sister is going to have a moment here."

I opened the window the warm summer air hitting me again. I slipped through the window and found the roof to be pretty level where I was. Then I looked out. I could see high above the fields now. It took my breath away. The neat little rows of corn and soybeans were a patchwork around the houses. There was a path a tall brown grass that I could see a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was the same Scarecrow. I liked the way he looked standing out there. Maybe I could go investigate that later.

Past the houses I could only see fields and trees. There was so much space here. So unlike Gotham with it's twisting turning roads and dark alley ways.

Starting to sweat I slipped back into the room and closed the window. I looked back at Betty, for her over decorating mind she did care. I gave her a smile. Maybe she knew I needed something like that. A little place to call my own. I mean Dad's parents died a while before I was born so Betty might know what I needed in that moment.

Logan waved his phone up at me. He wanted me to ask Betty. "So Betty, I brought my computer, could I get the Wifi information for it."

Betty blinked her large blue eyes. "Well dear, I don't have wifi here."

I could see Logan pail. "No wifi?" He stammered.

"Nope. Don't see the reason for it. We have cable, that's all the information you need. Fox news and the local news. Why kids?"

Logan looked at me. "No cell signal and no wifi."

Betty looked a little confused. "This was a time for you kids to get away from all that technology. Not good for you. You get to learn how to fish, mudding, and hell I'll be teaching your sister how to bake."

Now we knew Betty's true purpose to get us out here. She wanted to turn us Gotham kids into nice law abiding southern kids. All I have to say to that is, good luck.

We unpacked the car. Logan was in a sour mood for the rest of the day. And once I got everything unpacked I opened up the window and crawled out onto the roof. It was starting to be night time and the heat was dying away. I pulled out a book I was reading. Well not really what I was reading, but what Mom had been reading.

I looked at the cover. it was worn from many readings. Mom's favorite book. She said she could open to this book up and read it. I thought it was sweet and had brought it along. I'm not much for classics, but I could always try giving this a good read.

'Phantom of the Opera'

I mean I've seen the movie, and mom always had the stupid music playing. So I should be able to get the jist of the story even if I get bored halfway through.

So that's how I spent my first night in Hamlet Georgia.

Authors notes: Hey, I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of 'First Kill'. This is my first Fanfic that I've had the nerve to post in five years, so bare with me. I'm using as much of the comic book lore as I can for this story. Next chapter will be the big meeting for Lynn and Crane, and it's one of my favorite chapters. As always comment and if you see any errors please let me know and I'll try to correct them, I don't have a beta reader at the moment so I do all the editing myself.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own any characters from DC comics. I don't even invest in their stock. Lynn and her family are my brain child, but I'm not making any money off of this.

* * *

Chapter 2

Logan slept in the next day. I on the other hand couldn't sleep. I think it was all the stuffed animals looking down at me. I mean, I don't mind fluffy bunnies and teddy bears, but the ones Aunt Betty had creeped me out. They had those creepy dead doll eyes that you see in horror movies. So at six I rolled out of bed.

I had spent my morning downstairs trying to figure out the channels on the TV. Betty had lied about the Cable. She had basic TV, but that was about it. And I didn't feel like watching the news. By noon I was bored. I could read more of mom's book, but I really wanted to savor it while I was on this trip. So when Betty said she was going to bake bread I agreed to help her.

The kitchen was a mess, flour was splattered on the ground and there was a smell of fresh bread in the air. My mom made cookies, the standard chocolate chip variety that every mother knows how to make. Betty on the other hand knew how to bake bread and man did she have her rules.

Don't touch the dough too much. Follow the instructions exactly. Don't microwave the water, use room temperature eggs. So many rules. Mom was the kind to take a cake mix and just add whatever. So when the my loaf was resting I was told that I could use the phone to call my friends.

I raced upstairs with the phone in hand. I threw myself on the large pink bed my fingers flying over the buttons.

The first person I called was Kate. Kate Miller had been my friend since we were kindergarteners and had matched our choice of hairstyle, pigtails with large scrunchies. I know, not really original, but sometimes that's how friendships are born.

The phone rang for a long minute then Kate's Mom picked up. "Miller's." She said in a clear tone.

"Hi Miss Miller, It's Lynn."

"Lynn? Aren't you on vacation?"

"Yeah Georgia, could I talk to Kate?" I asked.

There was a bit of chatter in the background then Kate picked the phone up. "Lynn?"

"Hey!"

I could hear Kate climb the stairs in her house. She was probably going to her bedroom. "How's it going? Have you seen any rednecks yet?"

"Hundreds. There's no net out here."

There was a long pause. "What about Wifi?"

"Nope."

Again there was a pause. I know for my generation it sounded impossible, how could there be a place without Wifi, but I just kept my lips shut.

"How are you going to live? How are you going to know about the gossip?" she said her voice getting louder on the phone.

"I was hoping you could keep me up to date."

"Oh god, oh god oh god. You don't know then."

"What? I've only been gone two days and something happened?" I sat up on my bed.

"Oh yeah. David, you know Mr. Wilderness."

"Yeah?"

"He told me to tell you to give him a call. He didn't know your number."

"I don't know his number." I said bewildered. David Sterling was asking for me! All Sophomore year he would be near me, his friends would talk to my friends, but that degree of separation was always like the Great Wall of China between us.

"Well that's because he gave it to me to give to you."

I was really not liking this long distance no internet thing. Already I had to go through friends to get his phone number, maybe if I had internet it would be different, but I didn't have it so I would have to do this the old 1990's way. "Did he say anything about me? Like anything?"

There was a long pause. "Nope, I mean, he did say he was hoping you were doing alright and that you should call him. Other than that. Nothing."

I nodded. The rest of the conversation was upkeep of what was happening in Gotham. Nothing that I really cared to remember, it was too far away to care about who was dating who.

When I ended the call from Kate I looked at the number she gave me. Should I call David now or wait? If I waited would he think I wasn't interested? God, I hated having to choose.

I sucked in a big gulp of air and dialed. I listened as the phone rang, and rang, and rang some more. I wondered what I was going to say. Should I play it cool? Or maybe be in a weepy phase. I mean I didn't have any tears, but I could pull out some in no time flat.

Then his voicemail popped up. It wasn't even his voice, it was the computerized voice telling me to leave a message at the beep.

"Uuuuu." I said sounding like a dumb elephant. "Hi, David? Uuum It's Lynn. My number is." I rattled off Betty's number. "I hope you call. Bye."

I pushed the end button and groaned. What the hell was that? Uuuuu hi? Fuck, I sounded like some stupid Middle schooler with a crush. I fell onto my bed and buried my red face into the pillows.

Then I heard a knock at the door. "Sweety pie?" Betty called.

She walked in and looked at me. "What happened?"

"I just called this guy." I said pulling myself up. "I sounded like such a doofus on the phone. On his voicemail. He can re listen to me sounding like a doofus!"

I threw myself back down onto my pillows. I wished I was telling this to Mom. Mom would slide in next to me and rub my back saying I would be alright or some other mom thing that would make me feel better. She would tell me how my little mess up would be forgotten or be used as a cute story when I'm older and when David and I were giving out wedding toasts.

But Betty was not my mother.

"Well in church I was told recently that girls should not be chasing after boys like you are. This David must know you're going after him and chose not to pick up. Keep your distance and he'll come around."

The fuck? Betty looked so pleased with her advice that she nodded and brushed out of the room and soon as she had come in. I picked my sorry ass off of the bed and marched down the stairs and past Betty to go outside.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"For a walk!" I said loudly.

I could see Logan poke his head out of his room, his eyes looking at me. I glared at him making him slink back into his room.

I threw the front door open. Dad was walking out of the garage looking pleased with himself. He took one look at me and frowned.

"Lynn, what's wrong?"

"Going for a walk." I said a little more politely to him than Betty. I mean Betty didn't understand. Dad at least was going through the same shit I was, kinda, minus the boy problems.

My goal wasn't the road. No I was heading straight to the tall grass. I needed to be away from everyone and from my window I remembered the scarecrow. The lone figure who looked so alone in the tall grass. I needed to talk to someone, someone who wouldn't care what I said, someone who couldn't speak. That scarecrow fit the bill perfectly.

The grass was thick and it was hard to get through it. I took my anger out on the fibrous stalks as I pushed to a large circle that had been made. The scarecrow was standing above me with a ratty tunic and pants. A moth eaten hat sat on his burlap head bit of straw stuck out here and there. He was an ominous looking figure who looked down at me with a blank face. This wasn't a scarecrow Aunt Betty made. If it had been it would have a huge smiley face and maybe some flowers. No This was a real scarecrow that had a purpose of keeping crows away.

I paced in front of him glaring at the figure like he was the source of all my problems. And hell to me might as well have been.

"I hate this place." I said finally. "Dad think's it's okay that he took Logan and mn away from Gotham for the summer. He never asked if I had plans. If I wanted to grieve with my friends? NO!" I said planting my feet in front of him. "He wants to relive his glory days here in fucking Hicksville!"

I kicked a clot of dirt. The dry tuff only moved a few inches, but the small cloud of dust was satisfying. "You know what. I've never seen so many churches in one place. Is it just me or does the south forget to learn science in the place of god? Most of them don't even read the bible. If they did they would know that they were being hypocrites."

I stood next to the scarecrow and leaned next to him. "Aunt Betty is the worst. Okay I know the woman has her hobbies, but her house is like a model home. I haven't seen an ounce of clutter while being there. Even her cooking is clean. And her telling me not to chase after boys? I don't see her with a boyfriend. I bet she's some spinster who's still a virgin. That's not going to be me. There is a sexual revolution out there. I don't have to be that pretty little flower that her generation was."

"I bet everyone else in town is going to be the same way. They're all like." I switched to the thickest most annoying idea of a southern accent and started. "Well hey there Billy Jay Bob! How's the tabaca comen? I know that Pastor Gibbs was talken about how we should be smitten the wicked and all that. Lets go Bowlen and find some sinners to smite."

I didn't hear the grass shift behind me. If I had I might have stopped. But I was on a role and thought I was very much alone.

"Well gee Mary Sue. I can't wait till my sister and your cousin get married. It's going to be like another family reunion. I just love them weddings. Though we can't have Bobby come, I hear he's gone from the path of god and has chosen to be gay. I already said he can come back once he's accepted the good lord back into his heart and dumped his devil of a boyfriend."

I turned from the scarecrow and saw him. As soon as I saw him I felt my whole body heat up. How much had he heard?

The boy in front of me was a boy already past the six foot marker, six feet and as thin as a wire. There was much about him that could be described with the word, a wire. His arms and legs were long and thin, like Jack skellington. His face was strangely feminine with large wire rimmed glasses. He was wearing clothing that were a few sizes too big. His brown hair looked like it needed a proper trim, but the shagginess looked good on his angular face.

"Oh god…" I said jumping.

He was looking at me then to the scarecrow. "Are you having a moment?" His voice wasn't what I expected. Maybe I thought he would have a down home country voice like Betty, but no, he sounded like he was from the north.

"N-no." I muttered backing away from the scarecrow. Now I felt foolish. Here I was ranting in shorts, shorts that showed way too much of my thick thighs. But what I was I saying. I didn't even know the guy.

He looked at me with this expression that I was confused about. "You're new here." He said.

"Yeah. I'm just here for the summer."

He nodded. "Miss Coleman's family?"

"Niece." I corrected. "I'm Lynn."

"Jonathan. I live next door."

"The Keeny's?" I asked.

He nodded. "My last name is Crane. I live with my great grandmother."

"So, what are you doing out here?"

He shrugged. "I wanted somewhere quiet to read."

Now I noticed he had a book in his hand. I glanced at the cover, impressive. 'Sleepy Hollow'. I looked up at Jonathan and smile. "Good book."

He looked down at it then back at me. "First time reading it."

Then we stood there unable to talk anymore. I mean I could have spoken, but I didn't know what to talk to him about. He seemed like he needed space and honestly I was done with my rant.

"I should go." I said turning back to Betty's.

Just as I reached the grass he spoke. "We aren't all like that."

I looked back at him. "Like what?"

"Bible thumping, low IQ, and incestious." He said. He then got a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Only ninety-nine percent of us."

"I'll be sure to keep a look out for the one percent. I'll see you around."

That night at dinner we ate the bread Betty and I made. I didn't tell anyone about my run in with the boy next door. Logan didn't ask and honestly it was like no one cared I had gone for a walk. So while we ate Dad started to ask how we liked it here.

Logan gave some grumbles as he stuffed his face with bread. When dad looked over at me for my turn I chose this would be the best time to spill.

"I met one of the neighbors."

Betty suddenly gave me her full attention. "Oh you met Miss Keeny did you?"

"No. I met her, um I think great grandson, Jonathan."

* * *

Now let me tell you about my father. My Dad thinks that I'm anti social. I don't have many friends and most of them aren't guys. He was the type that wanted his kids to have big social lives, I suspected it came from being the king of Hamlet when he was here. He was always on the look out to get me into more friends groups. And when a guy is mentioned it ends up with this kind of reaction.

"Jonathan. Sounds like a good name." He said.

Betty shifted in her seat like she had something to say about it. But Dad hit the table making a loud banging sound. "You know what? I was thinking that we should take you kids into town tomorrow. Maybe Jon will want to go too. That'll be great, don't you kids think?"

Logan looked over at me. We didn't need to speak. Sure going into town was going to be better than us sitting at the house, but I didn't know Jonathan yet, and from my little bit of meeting him I wasn't that impressed.

"Should we ask his grandma?" Logan said.

"I'll do that after dinner. Betty you have their phone number yes?"

Right after dinner dad had called, the conversation was short and I had a feeling Jonathans grandmother was very short with my dad. But in the end Jon was going to show us around town while Dad visited his friends houses.

* * *

For it being summer in Georgia I was freezing. Pulling the thick covers around me I shivered under my blanket. The eyes of all of the dolls looking down at me, my demonic dollies watching me as I slept… creepy.

From outside I could hear an owl hooting. Then farther off a crow cawed. That's what sent me sitting straight up in bed. I looked around the room, my eyes not letting me see anything.

Something wasn't right I could feel it. It felt like someone was watching me. I got out of bed and tossed on a robe. Nothing about my room was off. Everything was still in it's cute girly detail.

Another shiver hit me causing me to shake under my robe. I needed something to drink.

Moving through the house my heart started to pound. I tried to tell myself that there was nothing to fear. Sure I was out in the middle of nowhere with a spooky kid who lives next door and an Aunt who's way too into the Lord for her own good. Wait.. that is the making for a horror picture. Fuck.

I got to the kitchen. Everything looked harmless, unless you counted the cookie jar. It was in the shape of a large bug eyed bull dog. I don't know how that's cute, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

Getting myself some water I took a long deep breath steadying myself. Why was I so worried. No one was after me. Hell the only person I met seemed pretty okay, in a misunderstood kinda way. I almost wondered if he had any friends here. He looked like the type that would be picked on at my school. So what would an intellectual outsider do in the south… I could think of two options. Go crazy or die. I didn't like either of those options.

Climbing up to my room I knew there was something wrong from the moment I entered. I could smell honeysuckle from outside, and the hooting from the owl had gotten closer.

My windows both of them on my window seat were open leaving me bare to the night. I knew the windows were closed when I went down stairs. So as soon as I saw them I flipped the lights on blinding myself. Blinking dots away from my eyes I did a search of the room. I started with the obvious place. Under the bed.

This was the place of much fear growing up. There were monsters when I was a kid and now there are dust bunnies… or psycho hillbillies who wanted to steal me away for some dark purpose.

I got on my hands and knees and checked.

Nope. Not even a dust bunny. I got up and made my way to the closet. From outside a crow cawed at me. I jumped looking out the window.

"Very funny." I muttered. I grabbed a stuffed animal from the chair next to my closet. I put the fluffy bear in front of me as I opened the door to the closet. I paused before I looked in. What could there be on the other side? I didn't know, but I could make wild theories.

I threw the door the rest of the way open and saw nothing but a closet filled with hangers. A few boxes above had labels such as 'Thanksgiving linens' or 'Baby shower table cloths'.

I closed the door exhaling. Outside the crow cawed. Now I was getting angry. could those birds stay up all night? I didn't know, but I did know I was going to keep that window closed and wrap my head under my blankets till I passed out.

As I slid into bed looking at the now closed window I had to wonder… who opened it in the first place? My mind settled on Logan sneaking up here to pick on me and thought to give me a scare.

* * *

Authors Notes: Hey again. So I had a lot more written of this story that I thought so I'll probably post more than once a week (maybe three times if I'm feeling dangerous). The story will probably end up with a Mature rating, I'm right now I'm getting close to the end and I'm pretty sure it's going to be gruesome for our little leads.

Anyway have a great day, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own any characters from DC comics. I don't even invest in their stock. Lynn and her family are my brain child, but I'm not making any money off of this.

* * *

Chapter 3

The next morning I was sitting in dad's car as we drove over to Jonathan's house. Well we didn't drive up to the house. Jonathan was standing at the end of the driveway. Other than the different colors of his clothing he still wore clothes that were too big for his thin body.

Logan had his phone in hand as he saw Jon. "That's the guy?"

I nodded.

"Creepy." Logan sang under his breath.

Jonathan slid into the car and gave me a not. "Thank you for inviting me on the trip." He said quietly.

Dad gave him a large smile. "Not a problem Jon, I can call you Jon right?"

"I like Jonathan more."

Dad's smile dimmed. "Right, Jonathan." he put the car in drive and started to drive into town.

Jonathan didn't look back at me for the first part of the trip. But once we were over the railroad tracks he looked back at me. His eyes locked onto mine and he gave me a quick nod.

"So, w-what do you want to see?" He asked

"Please tell us there's a place to get wifi?" Logan said.

Jonathan nodded. I just noticed that he didn't really smile. He nodded but I never saw a smile cross his face. It was sad in a pathetic way. I wanted to reach out and ask him if he had ever gotten a chance to smile.

As we slowly parked in one of the common parking lots. I saw Jonathan was tensing up.

"Okay, at five we'll have dinner at La Tacorita. It's a small tex mex place, Jonathan can show you where it is." Dad said pulling himself from the car.

Then we were alone, with dad's card and no where to go. Logan looked over at Jon. "Okay, spill, where's the Wifi?"

Jon looked down the street. "There's a Starbucks a few blocks away."

Logan grinned and gave Jon a bro hug. "You and me are best friends from now on. Lead me!"

Jon shot me a look. Yes my brother is dependant on internet, and yes he is crazy. In the end it would be best if we left Logan to his computer and did something else on our own.

We started to walk down the street. Everything looked less run down now that I was paying attention. We passed shops that looked to be under construction. Little clothing shops or soap shops were moving in. The town in all honesty was growing. Now it was growing in the way a suburb grew, growing with one of a kind stores that housewives adored, but growth is growth.

Jonathan took us to a large church. I paused. "Ummm, Where's the Starbucks?"

That's when he looked back at me. I think his eyes were smiling. Was that amusment I saw? "It's inside the Church."

Great, so the christians could get their weekly dose of holy scripture and their daily dose of caffeine.

The church was not what I had expected. Since we passed Virginia I thought I got the basic idea of the Southern Baptist church down. Normally they were large brick buildings with a slanted roof with a steeple with a cross at the very top. This church wasn't like that.. or it might have been like that once, but now the 'church' was a multi building creation that reminded me of a private school than a 'church'.

As we walked up to the church I saw a group of kids hanging around outside. As soon as they had seen us Jonathan froze. Oh school politics. I could only guess that Jonathan was not the popular kid in school. The boys with their white t-shirts and trucker hats looked to be the kids not to mess with around here. Of course my dumbass of a brother doesn't see it that way. He threw in his lot with the outcast because of Wifi.

"Hey look at what we have here." Said one boy. His voice was too low for his pubescent form. "Scarecrow has some friends."

Logan stepped up. "Hey, look. Name's Logan Colmen and that's my sister Lynn. We're from Gotham."

That made the rednecks grow quiet. I mean Gotham has a reputation, anyone who lives their either works for the Mob or knows some of the mob. That's not too far from the truth. It's a corrupt place and isn't a place for nice people to live. So when you say you live in Gotham, people respect you. Even if the closest I have come to crime was seeing a little old lady get mugged when I was in third grade. Not everyone worked for the mob, but rednecks don't know that.

The biggest of the group took a step forward. He looked like some dumb ape with a predominant lower jaw. As he moved closer I could smell a mix of Axe and unwashed boy.

"So what are you doing with Scarecrow?" He said looking at Logan.

"My friend Jon here was showing me where to get some Wifi, and a good latte." Logan said putting an arm around Jonathan. For a kid who knows how to play the popularity game Logan was choosing the wrong side here. Anyone with the name of 'Scarecrow' is not someone to hang your hat with.

The big brute looked at me. "And you?"

Fuck. I really didn't want to deal with this. I came here to walk around a stupid town. Maybe find a quiet place to read, instead I have to pick sides on a school war that I don't even deal with.

"We're just visiting."

The kid scoffed and looked at Jon. "Didn't think so. Scarecrow is getting pity from the big city kids."

Jonathan wasn't looking at the bully. I could see rage, rage I have never seen and hope to never feel for myself. But there was one thing I felt. I was angry that these kids chose to embarrass him in front of two strangers. Strangers that could be his friends.

"Ya know. I like hanging with Jon. What do you say Logan?" I said hitting my brother hard in the ribs.

Logan's eyes were wide. Now he got it through his skull that this was a bad idea! "oh no." He muttered. Yeah he could try pleading with me . But I didn't let him win. No. We were going to help Jon, so help me I was tired of seeing kids who were not perfect looking or weren't athletic lose. Okay truth, I was still steamed that David didn't pick up the phone and honestly I wanted some loser to win for once.

Logan's face didn't give anything away. He used the cuff of his sleeve to wipe his sweaty forehead. Then with as many of an inhale he said. "He's cool." he then put an arm around Jonathan, the protective bro hug.

The bully looked at us, so the facts he would know would be that we were Gotham kids, so we've seen some shit. And we're protecting the loser, so we might not be nearly as strong as we look. But we were Gotham kids, even the losers in Gotham had connections to hit men, if the rumors were to be believed.

"Watch it Scarecrow. Just because some new kids took you in doesn't mean you'll survive this school year."

I moved my way between them pulling Logan and Jonathan along behind me. There was a look in Jonathan's eye. I think he was annoyed that we stepped in, hell if he was he could tell us later, right now we had to keep moving.

Inside the Church I got a bit more of the christian vibe. It was the murals on the walls depicting Jesus with lots of small children and animals with the common John 3:16 verse written above it in loopy handwriting. The church was empty except the Starbucks that was giving the entrance the heavenly smell of coffee. Logan bolted to a table and opened his computer.

"Oh my god!"

"We're in a church." I said to Logan. "Watch your mouth."

Logan waved me off. "There's wifi. Lynn get us some drinks I'm going to get on Facebook. Oh facebook!"

I motioned for Jon to join me in line. He still looked upset and didn't speak till we were far away from Logan.

"Why did you do that?" He said quietly.

"I don't like bullies." I said. "And you've been cool so far."

He shook his head. "I'm just the weird kid who lives on the wrong side of the tracks. You heard what they call me."

"So what if you're spindly, guys like you normally turn out cute in college." I froze in my sentence. Yeah I just said the guy could be cute. Hell in Gotham with proper clothing choices he would be one of the popular kids. My school was weird though. The truly popular were the kids with 4.0's and good looks. Logan used to joke that there was a genetic project happening. I on the other hand liked the social hierarchy. It means geeks were thought of as better than the brutes who punted balls around.

Jonathan looked at the menu. "Thank you."

We got to the counter and ordered. With our drinks in hand I walked over to Logan who was glued to the screen.

"Lynn you won't believe what Frank did!" He flipped the screen around and showed me a picture of a kid trying to do a flipping stunt instead falling on his ass. "That stupid idiot."

Jon chucked with our laughter. "So, what's Gotham like?" he finally asked.

Logan pursed his lips thinking. "Well I can get some of my friends online and have them take pictures."

"That would be nice. I've never left the state before."

"But you sound so… northern." Logan said confused.

Jonathan finally smiled. It was a small one, If I hadn't been looking at him I would have missed it. "Unlike everyone here I don't plan on making my life as a welfare check spender. Having the accent of the south means you are inbred and can't be taken seriously, especially if you have liberal thoughts."

Logan smiled. "Well you are now around the cultured." He flipped his screen around. "Who wants to watch Cats do stupid stuff?"

"Cultured?" I said looking at Logan. Logan shot me back his big innocent eyes. Nope, wasn't going to work this time bro. I turned to Jon looking for a point of escape. "Is there anything interesting around here?"

Jonathan had to think about it. "Well there is a park I can show you."

I jumped up. "We'll be around Logan. Have fun talking to everyone."

Logan took a large gulp from his drink. "Yup. See ya."

And we lost him. Jonathan and I left the church and back out into the summer heat. He lead me down a few streets making a point to avoid the kids that were gathered in places. It wasn't just the popular kids he dodged, it was everyone.

We go to the park. It was more a large patch of grass with a swing set. Jon walked over to a picnic table and sat down. I sat across from him looking at him. There we got into a game of waiting to see who would speak first. Jon was a master of the game, even if he didn't know it. He was able to keep his mouth shut long that me. I on the other hand never played waiting games.

"So, I take it you don't like this place so much." I said.

He looked up at me above his glasses. "That would be obvious."

"Well, since we'll be seeing a bit of each other shouldn't we get to know each other?"

Jon folded his hands. "Names Jonathan Crane, Kids here call me scarecrow because of my lanky form. I like books, I love reading history books, but I have a fondness for many of the classics. I live with a witch of a great grandmother who insists she's my grandmother. Life here is hell for anyone with an IQ over 100. If you don't like shooting guns and getting drunk off of cheap booze then you're a freak of nature. I like my space, people have never understood me and I don't expect a girl from Gotham to understand the shit this place puts on you."

I didn't speak at first. Yes he was angry, but I knew I could calm him down. It was one of the few things I knew I was good at doing.

"Well Jonathan. I like books as well. I think drinking is stupid unless it's really good alcohol. Mom always said if you drink, drink to enjoy what you're doing. I also think that idiots are the only ones who are happy living from day to day and not living for the world around us."

Jonathan looked at me blinking. "What's your favorite book?"

I smiled. Hey it was a start, a small lifeline to the boy that was Jonathan Crane. "I like Jekyll and Hyde. The morality play in that book is fascinating. Also it's just a fun read."

He smiled again. I really liked his smile. I doubted if the smile would ever reach his eyes and in a small way I promised myself I would get him to smile by the time summer was out.

"So how old are you?" I asked.

"I'm sixteen."

"Me too. You'll be going into Junior year?"

"Senior year. I skipped a grade." He said leaning back.

"Hence the bit about your IQ." I said quickly.

He nodded. "Is Gotham, the north, is it really different than here?"

"Yes!" I said laughing. "Oh man is it different. Tell me about your world and I'll tell you about mine."

And that's how we truly opened up. He told me about the crazy bible thumping poor as dirty but holier than thou people of the south. I told him about the good, bad, and ugly of Gotham. Sure we had our muggings out in the street and the police had a cancerous growth also known as the mob, but people respected you. You didn't talk to them and they sure as hell didn't talk to you. If they did expect a knife or gun to be pulled.

I lost track of time and Jon and I had gotten into a discussion about popular fiction. My opinion was that even teens needed reading to get them interested in books. Jon had a bit of elitism saying that if they could understand the greats then why bother.

I was about to get into a heated argument when I saw a flash of red and suddenly Jon was on the ground with a girl with the brightest shade of red I had ever seen pull him down into a bear hug.

"Hey Jonny boy!" She said.

The girl was small, maybe breaking five feet. She was also thin. She had a band tee and torn up jeans. Her hair was long and thrown into a messy braid. The way she was hanging onto Jon I had to assume she liked him.

It took him a long moment but Jon was able to push the girl off of him. He rolled up and brushed himself off. "You're such a freak." He muttered.

The girl beamed at him. "Takes one to know one." She then looked over at me. I noticed she gave me the judging once over. "Who's this?"

"Lynn, She's Betty Colmen's niece."

I straightened up. I told myself it was in an attempt to look more pleasant, but really it was to look intimidating. I was almost a foot taller than the girl, so that couldn't be hard, only my ego hadn't caught on to that yet.

The girl thrusted her hand out. "Heather, I see you've kidnaped my best friend."

I shook her hand, she had a strong grip. She looked up at me then back to Jon. "Okay I thought I told you that we couldn't have anymore tall people in our friends group. I feel like a midget!"

"One inch over from getting that scholarship." Jon said his face now brightening. Now I saw it, the smile had reached his eyes. Oh I saw a crush here, he had to really like this girl. I tried to think if it would be wise to stay and let the two of them be awkward or give them their space. "Any way. Lynn's Father invited me into town. I didn't get much of a choice."

Heather leaned closer to me. "He doesn't mean it. He can be grouchy sometimes." she whispered loudly. Jonathan shot her a dark look but she brushed him off. "So what are you guys talking about?"

"Youth fiction." I said.

Heather nodded. "Let me guess, Jon's being elitist?"

Jonathan shot her a sour look. "It's just that people should rise above their reading levels and learn."

"We're in the south Jon! No one want to learn here." She shouted. "Get it through your thick ass skull!"

I really liked Heather. Maybe it was her honesty, no it was her honesty. There was a whole different side to Jonathan coming out and I think I liked it. He was more honest and less high intellect.

Jonathan smiled. "Well someone has to raise the thinking mind of this place."

Heather shook her head and I knew she was going to win. She seemed like a girl who got her way, and Jonathan was just weak willed enough to let her walk all over him. Hence the thought that he really liked her.

Heather stayed glued next to me. "So you're from the north right?"

I nodded, I didn't need to ask how she knew. "Gotham."

"God I always wanted to go to Gotham!"

And that sealed it. Heather stayed glued to Jon and me. With her around Jonathan seemed to let down an invisible barrier that now was open to be crossed.

I had gone to get some lunch with Heather. The burger joint was better than I thought. The food looked edible and I didn't get a sinking feeling that I would end up with food poisoning. It wasn't hard getting the food. The kids hanging around ignored Heather and myself. Probably because Heather had less to fear from the kids at school, maybe because she didn't give them any shit, I didn't know, but I did notice they gave her a wide berth when we walked through the group.

When we got back to the park I thought something was wrong. First I thought I wasn't seeing correctly because Jonathan wasn't anywhere to be found. Heather sat the food down and started eating like nothing was happening.

"Where did Jonathan go?" I asked.

She put her hand up to get my quiet. "You'll only make him think this was a good idea."

"What idea?" I asked.

Heather gestured for me to sit. I took a seat slowly looking around. "What if the bullies got him?"

Heather shook her head. "They might ruff him up, but they wouldn't abduct him or something like that. Just wait and you'll see. You're not a screamer are you?"

I was about to ask what she meant when I felt a chilled hand touch my neck. I've grown up with a pesky brother who thinks it's cleaver to scare his sister. After sixteen years of him throwing plastic bugs, hiding whoopee cushions, and jumping out of dark corners I had learned to defend myself. I quickly elbowed whoever was behind me without thinking. This was normally a punishment for Logan for sneaking up on me, and when I heard a different voice cough and then someone fall to the ground I had to look.

Jon was laying here holding his stomach. His face was hidden by his arms. I could hear Heather laughing from across the table. I was red in the face with embarrassment.

"Oh my god, Jon I didn't know it was you!" I got to the ground making sure I hadn't killed him. I was so used to hitting Logan. Someone like Jon was so tiny that I might have broken him with out meaning to. What as I going to tell Dad? 'Sorry dad I broke the next-door neighbor, hope you don't mind.'

Jon was taking some deep breaths, good I didn't kill him. But he looked up at me, his eyes looked in shock.

"So you're a fighter." Heather muttered. I didn't catch anything else she said because I was too focused on the broken boy.

"Jon how many fingers am I holding up?" I said holding up two.

"Two." He said taking a few more breaths. "I don't have a head injury, you just knocked the wind out of me."

We got him back up to the table, Heather hadn't bothered with helping him. Jon picked up a burger and took a large bite out of it. "Thanks for ruining it."

Heather shrugged. "It was a lame attempt anyway."

"What were you trying to do?" I asked.

Jon rolled his eyes, and Heather answered for him. "He likes to scare people."

"Like pulling pranks?"

"That and just scaring people. He's been like that since we were kids."

Jon chucked. "First time I met Heather I was showing the girls in our grade this corn snake I found. Man they screamed, but Heather, well I knew we were going to be friends when she didn't scream and asked for it's name."

Heather grinned. "Still have that stupid snake." She said puffing out her chest with pride. Laughing I continued eating while the two of them recounted their tales of childish pranks.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hello again! I hope everyone's having a fantastic weekend. I'm less than ten scenes till the end of this baby, so once it's fully written I'll post with a more regular timing. I don't know if people would rather want their chapters out quickly or more spaced out. If any of you care to put in your answers I'll look into changing the timing up. Until then, cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Heather said she had to go home and get ready for something she was doing that night and Jon and I still had dinner with Dad. We made our way to the small restaurant in a different air then we had been before Heather showed up. Jon was free to talk about what he felt and thought about.

"So, you're brother is kinda addicted to the computer." Jon said as we reached the restaurant. I could already hear the mariachi band, or at least a CD of one was playing.

"He misses his friends. Dad thought it would be a bright idea to drag us away from the people we knew to come out here and greave."

"Greave?"

I nodded. "My Mom passed away a few weeks ago."

Jon stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry."

I stopped as well shrugging. "Look, I'm not much for wanting to talk about this. You've lost your parents, so you understand."

"I never got to know my parents." He said starting to move. "Mom died during childbirth and Dad, well I have a feeling he never knew about me. But Mom had insisted I have his last name. Maybe hoping I wouldn't turn out like the rest of the family." He shrugged. "I'll never know."

I reached out and took his hand giving it a light squeeze. "That sucks. I mean it. And from what I can tell, your 'grandmother' isn't all that cool to be with."

"Understatement of the century."

"Century is still young!" I said nudging him with my shoulder.

Outside I could see Logan and Dad. I quickly pulled my hand away from Jon's as they saw us. Logan gave me a cool wave while Dad was looking similar to a school boy.

"So how was your day?" Dad asked.

"Good, got to meet a friend of Jonathan's." I said. Logan looked up interested, I could see the question forming in my brother's head 'is it a she? And was she hot?'

I dodged his look as we got a table. The inside of the restaurant was bright, I mean toxic yellow, greens and blues were painted on everything. There were flags hanging from the ceiling and I could smell the spice in the air. On the whole, what I expected from this restaurant.

We took our seats, I was glad Betty wasn't joining us. I was worried what she would do since Jon was here anyway. She didn't seem to have too high of an opinion of him.

The waitress walked up to ask to order drinks. We went around in a circle, you know dad getting a beer… a cheap beer. Logan ordered a Coke, I got a water. Then the funniest thing happened.

Jon looked up at the waiter and said "sweet tea." Now okay I get it, He's lived in Georgia all his life, him ordering sweet tea isn't funny, it was the way he said it. Up until now Jon had the plainest northern accent I could think of, then he busts out with "sweet tea" more sounding like Sweaht Tay.

I couldn't help myself I laughed so hard. The waitress excused herself as I continued to laugh. "My god Jon. That was the most southern thing you've said since I've met you!"

Jon looked petrified as I continued to snicker. Logan and Dad shrugged like it was no big deal. It really wasn't, but to hear Jon's true accent was like taking a breath of clear air.

"Don't worry about it." I said as the waitress sat down our drinks. I took a sip of water. "It's nice to know you aren't perfect."

Jon let out a deep chuckle with that. "Definitely not perfect."

We got halfway through dinner when Logan popped up over his enchiladas. "So Lynn, we got invited to a party tonight."

Dad looked up from his dinner. "Who's hosting it?"

"Just some of the kids in town. You know listen to some music and hang out." He said making it sound innocent. I knew what he was really hoping for. Hot chicks in american flag bikinis. But Dad nodded.

"That will be great. I'll drop Jon back off at his house and take you guys to the party."

I could see Jon become prickly again. I leaned closer and whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Those kids who picked on me at the church will be there." He said quietly. "Be careful, I think Heather's going, so just stay by her. You don't seem the type to like parties."

I shrugged. I'd been to parties. Okay, I've been to a pool party that was actually as birthday party, but how different could a normal party be? There'll be people listening to music and talking. If I was lucky the would skip out on the dancing.

After dinner we did what dad said he would. Jon had gone back into his shell after Logan had mentioned the party. I didn't press him. I mean I was going into the wolves den right? But I knew Logan wouldn't get to go if I didn't go with him. So I prepared myself for the worst, I didn't prepare enough.

As dad drove up to where the party was being held I noticed something. One, we weren't going to a house, it was a field. Two there wasn't a place for music, just ten trucks all pulled around.

Dad parked the car far enough away and turned to us. He looked serious as he spoke. "Okay, I remember how these parties were, so, be good, don't drink anything you didn't get yourself, especially you Lynn, and if you need me call me no matter what I'll pick you up."

I got out of the car feeling a little panicked. I thought about all the parties my friends told me about in Gotham. Kate told me guys liked to drug girls during parties, hence getting my own drinks. I didn't think anyone would want me, I mean I wasn't one of those skinny girls in the american bikini's that Logan was gunning for. So what was I going to do at the party?

As we got closer to the trucks I could hear the music. It was the local country music station… no DJ, no special mix for the party, just radio. I had to make the best out of the situation so I took a quick scan and saw Heather sitting on a truck bed. I made a beeline for her.

"Heather!" I said waving.

Heather grinned. She had put on more makeup and a lower cut top. "LYNN!" she shouted. "So you left Jonathan for the losers of Hamlet Georgia."

"If these are the losers then why are you here?" I said sitting on the tailgate with her.

Heather leaned in smiling. "Well I like to watch them make piss poor choices." she reached behind her and grabbed a bottle with a long neck. "Beer?"

I looked around. Logan was already the center of another group and beer in hand. "Sure?"

She popped the top and handed it to me. "So all honesty, what do you think of Jonny?"

I took a sip of the beer it was heavy on the carbonation and tasted more like grassy water than real alcohol. I took a moment to swallow it. "He's interesting."

Heather laughed taking a swig of her beer. she didn't seem affected by the lacking taste like I was. "He's got his shit. You stay away from his grandmother, that bitch is more twisted than Himmler."

"You mean Hitler."

"No Himmler." Heather said shooting me a glance. "Sure Hitler was off his rocker, but Himmler was the one to make sure all the crazy shit worked. And that woman is just as bad. Thinking she's doing gods work, pft."

I didn't dare take another drink, I wasn't prepared for another assault on my taste buds. Lucky Heather liked talking. She just continued on the conversation.

"You take care around that house. There's some strange shit that goes on."

The speakers of the music truck was boosted higher. Some of the large boys was stacking up some firewood. It looked like we were going to have a campfire. I started to wonder if I should have bought marshmallows.

I took a sip of beer, the taste was getting better, but I still couldn't understand why someone would willingly want to drink this. It had little taste and I doubt it had a small amount of calories.

I was about to look at the bottle's label when I heard a group of boys start to make a loud fuss over something. I looked over at boys where getting into a large brawl. I looked over at Heather, she seemed disinterested in what was happening.

"Aren't you worried the cops will show up?"

Heather smirked a little impish grin. "Please. Everyone in town knows about these parties. The adults used to have them when they were our age and now we get to have them. And when these delightful people have babies those kids will have parties here as well. Only they'll have rocket cars." she said adding a wink.

That's when something caught me. "When these people have kids? You aren't thinking about having kids?"

Heather shook her head her red hair covering her face for a moment. "No! I don't plan being here for that long. Once I'm eighteen I'm ditching this place. Maybe I'll move to New York, or Gotham." she said leaning back. "Somewhere where people like myself and Jon are normal."

I nodded. It had to be hard when you were a liberal thinker in a strict town. I almost wondered how Jon handled dealing with his Grandmother. From how Heather and him spoke it didn't sound like a great place for anyone who had dreams of being something more than what they were.

Heather and I became silent again. I was getting bored. I mean at least parties in Gotham had my friends. I wasn't a social butterfly like Logan was, and he was looking like he was having a great time. He had downed two bottles of beer and was flirting up a storm with a group of blonds telling them tall tales about Gotham.

Heather let out a large yawn. "You want to blow this place?" She asked.

She must have read my minds. "Please." I said.

She got us into the cab of her car. Starting up the car I felt a rush of cool air hit me. Again I didn't understand why they had to have a party outside. Heather tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Maybe you should just take me home. I'm really not a party girl." I said leaning into the seat.

Heather shrugged. "You're choice." she got her car into gear and started to drive. "So, Lynn, I didn't get to ask you. Are you dating anyone?"

I think I started blushing. Thoughts of David rushed into my head. I hadn't gotten a phone call from him yet. I had a feeling he had forgotten about me. And maybe I could live with that. It was only summer, and I didn't think I could do a long distance thing anyway.

"I have a guy I liked in Gotham. But I don't think anything is going to happen with that."

Heather didn't respond for a long minute. "Well, you never know what happens. YOu might find someone else."

I didn't know what she was getting at, well I knew I just didn't want to believe it. Me find someone other than David? No, I couldn't do that. I had to be madly in love with him because he was perfect. Right?

We got to my driveway, I noticed with a bit of amusement that the sun was just now going down. Figures I would leave a party before anything cool happened. Heather paused keeping the engine running. Her face had become serious.

"Look, I should warn you about something." She said turning to me. "Be wary of the Keeny place. There's something out there…"

She looked out at the swaying fields of grass. I could barely see the scarecrow's hat from where I was. The fields bristled in the light wind sending a chill through my spine. My mind went back to my open window.

"Is it harmful." I asked, my voice sounding hollow in my throat.

Heather shrugged. "Might be. I've heard it… I used to sneak over to Jon's place at night to talk, then I heard it out in the grass."

"Did it hurt you?"

"No. But I know it's watching me, me and anyone who gets close to that place. I think it's cursed." She reached out and gripped my hand. "Be careful out there, okay? I know Jon's safe, but I get worried about anyone else. And I really like you Lynn."

"We just met." I said blinking.

"That's how I roll. Now get your butt inside. I'll see you around."

I didn't know what to say. I gave her a smile and I slid out of the car seat and onto the gravel road. Heather leaned over so I could see her. "Sleep tight!"

I watched her car back out of the driveway and down the road the air had a cool chill to it making my skin goosebump. I shivered and turned back to Betty's, Dad was opening the screen door and I waved.

"Didn't like the party?" He asked as I walked up to him.

"Not much of a country music girl. I'm going to go read upstairs."

Getting to my bedroom I exhaled as I saw that my window was still closed. So the grass had some kind of monster in it. Well maybe a monster, who really knew. But Heather didn't seem the type to be scared of much without a reason.

I picked up my mother's book and opened the window. Slipping out I used the light of my room to read. The book was slow going at first. But I told myself I was going to make it through the next few pages. So straining my eyes I focused on each word. I was so focused that I didn't understand that there was noise farther away from me. But the noise grew louder and louder… it sounded like someone was screaming.

I looked up and out over the fields to see if I could see what was making the noise. Out in the pitch blackness I couldn't make out any shapes. The scream came again making me jump. I scurried back into the bedroom and shut the window my breath becoming heavy. What if the monster Heather told me about had someone. What if it had Jon?

I raced down the stairs and down to the living room where Betty was crocheting something that looked like a blanket, or It could have been a sweater… I didn't want to ask. She looked up at me with large eyes.

"Lynn, I don't think that's how a lady walks, do you?" she said in an unhappy tone. I didn't care I was still scared stiff about what was outside.

"There's someone screaming out there?" I said pointing to the window.

Dad entered from the kitchen. "Who's screaming?"

"Someone I can hear them outside."

Betty didn't move she just sat there shaking her head. Her hands ever moving on the sweater blanket thing. "Now now, I don't think anyone is outside."

"But it sounds like someone's in pain." I said starting to move to the door.

Betty made a loud huffing sound putting her work down. "You city kids don't know the sound of a goat?"

I paused my hand inches from the door. Goats. I looked back at Betty who was looking all puffed up with pride.

"The Keeny's keep goats. Goats sound a lot like humans screaming. It's nothing you need to worry your little head on." Betty picked up her crochet and looked at her stitches. "Oh now look at what you made me do." she said lifting her… project. "You made me lose place in my chart."

Dad let out a sigh of relief. "It's alright, you'll get used to this place. I mean when I first got to Gotham I had to ignore the cars driving by my apartment."

"At least cars don't sound like someone getting beaten." I muttered. But dad was right, of course he was. He'd lived in this house, he would know what a goat sounded like. So I had not choice but to believe him.

"How about you get some beauty rest." betty said her voice becoming perky again. "I bet your brother will be home soon. Tomorrow you can help me out in the garden pulling weeds."

'oh joy' I thought as I went back to my room. Once I was behind closed doors I opened the window again. I could hear the goats on and off. The sound sent shivers up my spine. Around midnight the cries stopped. I guess the goats finally fell asleep, just like I did moments later.

* * *

Author's notes: Hey again! I agree Jonathan's the most stable in his family, his grandmother is the absolute worst, and to me it's just a matter of time before this boy breaks. I really love writing this Jonathan Crane, he's still pretty 'innocent' (can that boy ever be innocent?) and it's great to see what is going to make him snap. He's going to be big on justice at first, but like all bad guys his views will be twisted.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Anything yet?" I asked. My feet were hurting, Logan was bored and I didn't feel like reading so we had taken on ourselves to find cell signal. So far I had gotten three mosquito bites and a blister on my heel. Logan on the other hand was sweating like a sinner in church… oh god, the local slang was catching up on me. "Please say you have something, I need to hear normal people."

Logan shook his head. "Nothing yet." He looked around. "How hard can this be? I mean we're on Version, should there be service everywhere with them?"

"Service in civilized places." I muttered.

We were walking down a road that might have been a mile and a half from Betty's. There was nothing but trees and fields, a boring background if you asked me. I could hear birds chirping in the air, but other than that there wasn't anything for miles.

"Anything yet?" I asked again.

"Nada." He replied.

We continued down the road when I heard a loud high whistling sound. I turned to look around and I could see flashing lights down the road coming closer to us. I pulled Logan off of the road as three police cars whizzed by. Logan let out a low whistle.

"Damn, where are they going in such a hurry?" He asked.

"Don't know, I'm going to head back home. Maybe Jon will know."

"Do we really have to hang around him? I heard from the other kids that he's a weirdo."

"Really? You stuck up for him."

"Yeah because I didn't want to get into a fight because you got soft on some nerd."

"So Jon's a nerd now?"

"He looks like one? Be honest Lynn, if he went to our school he'd been a nerd. And not one of the cool nerds either, he's be stuck in the library all the time."

"At least he wouldn't get punched. I heard what those kids do to him. They make fun of him and beat him up."

"Well maybe he deserves it." Logan said.

I didn't want to believe it. From what Heather had told me Jon wasn't a saint, heck he liked playing a prank or two one people and those who didn't get him wanted to punish him for being weird.

"You know what. Good luck finding signal." I turned around and marched my way back home. Well I didn't really go home. I went back to that scarecrow. Maybe I'm weird for liking to talk to inanimate objects, but it lets out a bit of stress for myself.

I pushed passed the grass when I heard a voice. I couldn't hear what it was saying but I thought it might have been Jon's voice. Pushing my way through the grass I caught a good look at Jon.

He was looking at the scarecrow, maybe even talking to it. "You know I think he needs to put us on a schedule or something, cause our counseling sessions keep bumping into each other."

Jon pulled away from the scarecrow and gave a small smile. "How about till Noon is my time then till night fall is yours." He said.

"That'll be sad thought. I won't get to bump into you anymore."

Jon's smile faltered. "You couldn't have enjoyed hanging out with me that much. You'd rather hang out with Heather."

"No I like both of you. She's good for a laugh and you make me think. Be proud. You have one person being elevated cognitively by your superior mind."

That got him to laugh. "As long as you never mention my love for tea."

"Sweet tea." I corrected.

He nodded a bit of mirth was in his eyes. "So why are you here? What can the great and powerful Scarecrow tell you?"

I looked up at the scarecrow. "Well I was going to tell him how stupid my brother is. We're in a town and he's choosing popularity over getting to know interesting people. Scratch that, he's choosing sex over getting to know people."

Jon didn't look offended as he walked up to me. I noticed he was still fully covered. How the hell did he not sweat to death out here? But I ignored it as he looked at the scarecrow. "Well I think he'd tell you that you're brother is just being immature and that he'll grow out of it."

It was silly, both of us talking to the scarecrow, but I think silly was what I needed at that time.

"Did you have fun at the party?" He asked.

"Not really. Bad beer and bad music. Heather drove me home though. She was really nice."

"Yeah she does that. She likes to take the odd bird under her wing."

"Well she took in a Crane." I said trying to be playful.

Jon seemed to miss that bit of humor and started to put his shell back up.

"I meant it to be cute. You said she took birds under her wing."

Jon looked like he was fighting something. "Sorry, I'm just used to people making fun of me for any reason."

"Kids can be mean." I said looking down at myself. I was all belly and wobbly legs. Sure I had a nice face, but that's what you tell fat girls so they don't get their feelings hurt.

"Hey," Jon said pulling me out of my inward spiral. "Thanks for being nice to me."

I nudged him with my shoulder. "Not a problem. Friends?" I asked.

"Yeah friends."

I looked around slowly the sound of the sirens were getting close again. "Hey, why do you think the police are freaking out today?"

"Big party yesterday." Jon said shrugging. "Could be anything. I mean the town isn't the cleanest. Kids get busted with drugs. Parents beat their kids. Spouses cheat. You're in a normal town, everyone has secrets."

"Even you?" I asked.

Jon smiled, there was a danger in that smile. "Everyone."

"Well that makes me feel better. I thought something big was happening in town." I looked back at the scarecrow.

"This isn't Gotham, the police get bored all the time and go on searches for marijuana and meth labs. Sometimes they find them."

The sirens weren't going away. I looked back to Betty's house the sound coming closer and closer. What could they want with Betty. Maybe Betty was a meth user, that would be a hoot.

Jon also looked interested. I decided to invite him over. "Come on. lets check it out!" I said my voice needing to be a yell to get my point across.

We reached the front yard as I saw two squad cars parked in the drive. Logan was getting out of the front of one car looking uncomfortable.

"Logan!" I said marching up to him. "What did you do?"

He just shook his head. "They told me to get in the car so I could be taken home. They want to question us about the party."

I remembered what Heather had said about everyone knowing about the party. Could they still test blood for alcohol. Would half a bottle show up on one of those test? I was starting to panic as the sirens died off.

A large officer waddled his way up to me. "Miss Colmen right?" He said. I nodded dumbly. "We need to speak to you and your brother."

"What did we do sir?" I asked. "Before you question us."

"It's not about what you did, it's about what you know." He looked around and saw Jon near the grass. "It's about Heather Turner."

"What happened to Heather?" Jon said moving next to me.

The officer's shoulder lowered as he looked at me, what he said were ones I would never forget. "She's gone missing. Hasn't been since since she left the party last night."

* * *

Author's Notes: And so the mystery starts. When I first got this idea I thought it would be a great excursive for me to do. When I write fan fiction I tend to make the stories be filler for questions I have had . The next chapter is going to be as short as this, but after that my word count picks back up. If I ever go back and edit I might make this chapter and the next chapter one larger chapter, I don't know.

As always thanks for reading, commit if you wish.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Logan and I were sitting in Betty's kitchen. Betty the hostest with the mostest was prepared with coffee, cookies, and sweet tea for the police. I took my glass of water in my hands turning it. Jon wasn't allowed inside for the questioning. I could see him pacing the porch. He looked like a large cat slinking back and forth. I would see flashes of his eyes locked on me during the questioning.

"When did you leave the party Miss Colmen." The large officer said. I noticed his name tag said his name was Wakes.

"I left before nine. I don't really like parties and Heather offered to drive me home." I said still fiddling with the glass.

Wakes nodded. "Did she go back to that party?" He asked Logan.

Logan was acting cooler that I was. Maybe I was feeling guilty because I might have been the last person to see her. Logan put on his concentrating face that he reserved for teachers. "No… well actually she did show back up for a little while. She wasn't really talking to anyone, just stayed on her truck chilling."

I knew Logan was lying about her drinking. she had already had one beer when I got her to drive me home. She might have continued to drink when she got back to the party.

"Last I saw of her was about midnight. She walked off for a while and I didn't see her coming back."

"She walked off?" I asked. Why would she just walk off? She knew there's something crazy out in the fields.

"Look I didn't talk to her much. I just saw her walk off. Nothing big, I thought she would want to get some alone time since everyone was taking a stab at making fun of Crane."

Crane? When did Logan choose to call him Crane, obviously when he saw his first country girl in a bikini.

"Heather is friends with Mr. Crane?"

I cutted in at that point. "His best friend. He's right outside, maybe he'll know what's going on."

Wakes got another officer to bring Jon in. Jon looked as fidgety as I was. He took a seat next to me.

"You're Heather's friend right?" Wake said flipping a page in his notebook.

"Yes sir." Jon said formally. "Heather and I have been friends since elementary school."

"And has she admitted that she wanted to skip town?"

Jon sucked in his lower lip. "We've always had plans on getting out of town sir. But we were going to wait till we were graduated and in college."

The officer huffed. "Did she have problems at home?"

"Lots. Her parents found out she was a lesbian two months ago and they've been giving her hell since."

That got my interest. Heather wasn't Jon's girlfriend? Just really good friends? It boggled me in that moment, then the boggled ment turned into embarrassment. 'Did I have a boyfriend.' She wasn't asking if I was going after Jon, she was seeing if I was straight or not. I think Jon noticed my blush and nodded at me.

"Heather wanted out of Georgia, we were planning of moving to Gotham after I graduated. Be both turn eighteen over next summer. She was willing to wait the year. I don't understand why she would leave… why she would leave me…"

I placed a hand on Jon's shoulder. This wasn't fair for him at all. He had one light in this stupid town and now she's gone missing. A small flame of anger hit me. Why haven't the police gone to her car. or went looking at the field she walked off into? They knew where she was last, so why didn't they just go?

Wake jotted some things down on his notebook. "Right, well kids, thanks for your help. Try to stay in the county incase we need to talk to you again, especially you Mr. Crane."

Jon, myself, and Logan watched as the police pulled out of the drive. Jon looked like he was a world away his eyes unfocused as he looked out into the field. I know I didn't know him well at the time, but I'm a bleeding heart. If I see someone broken I want to fix them. So I reached out and took his hand.

I never noticed how calloused his hands were. It felt like he's never seen a lotion bottle in all his life. I chose that to be my pet project that summer. Boost Jon's self esteem and help him see that the future can be bright.

* * *

I couldn't sleep well. Maybe the thoughts about Heather kept my mind from slipping off into sleep. I could hear the crows outside my window cawing away. I really wanted to sleep, I did, but I couldn't let my mind stop thinking about how sad Jon looked when he was told his only friend was gone forever.

The birds cawed again and I rolled myself out of bed. Maybe if I yelled at them they would stop making that noise. I stomped my way over the window and threw it open. As I did I noticed something, it was only a split second, but i saw it before I stuck my head out.

Backing away I took a deep breath to scream.

"Don't." The voice said. It was such a low voice, then again the shadowy thing on the other side of the window was ominous looking to have whatever voice it wanted. "Don't scream."

His voice was carried the deepest southern accent I heard since coming here. He didn't move any closer as I stayed planted in the middle of the bedroom.

"Who are you?" I asked.

I could see him, well the outline of him. He was huddled on the roof making it hard for me to see his true form. "I'm called Crow." He said. the soft lulling voice eased my nerves as a inched closer.

"How do I know that you aren't the thing that's out in the fields. Heather told me-"

"What did she tell you?" He cutted in.

I paused searching for words. "She said there was something watching her in the fields."

"I watch, I keep an eye on Jonathan Crane… He's someone of interest to me…" He said. "Heather is missing… Correct?"

"Yes?"

"And I'm wondering where she went. She used to walk through the fields and I watched over her."

This thing watched over her… Part of my lizard brain told me not to get closer, hell didn't I just think that this place was like a horror movie when I first got here?

But the stupid part of me moved closer walking up to the open window. The honeysuckle was delicious and soothed my nerves. "What do you want? Why aren't you coming in."

"I find it rude to walk in on someone's home without being asked."

"Like you're a vampire?" I said.

"No, I'm just being gracious. I do apologize for opening your window a few nights ago."

My stomach twisted. "You opened my window?"

"I wanted you to know that I was there."

"You were there? Really?" I said. I was getting louder and more defencive. "What were you thinking? Couldn't you have left a message if you wanted to talk to me. Hell how do you even know about me?"

"You spoke to Jonny, I like to watch out for him."

I rolled my eyes. "Look Crow, whatever your name is, buzz off. I'm stressed. I was one of the last people who saw Heather alive, like hell I'm going to talk to some random weirdo who creeps outside my window."

I made my way to slamming the door shut when Crow moved closer. I still couldn't see him well, but now I could tell that he was kneeling on the roof.

"Look, be careful out there. This town has some crazy people."

"Like the guy who sits on a girls roof, sorry I'm not a hopeless romantic who'll jump on any creeper who stalks her." With that I slammed the window shut.

Crow didn't move. Hell the guy didn't flinch. He just waited. I motioned him to move along, but he just stayed put. Annoyed and starting to become edgy from not getting sleep I opened the window. "What?"

"If I was here to hurt you, do you think I would have done it when you were sleeping?"

"Unless you're some crazy vampire?"

"Vampires aren't real." He said cooly. " But there are things in things in this town that can hurt you. Trust me."

"I don't know if I can."

Crow bobbed his head. "If you ever need someone to sort things out and Jonny can't be there, leave me a note, or just sit out here. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"If I ever think of talking to some creepy not vampire, sure." I closed the window and the curtains blocking him out from my view. And as my Mom would say out of sight out of mind.

I slid back into bed looking at the window. Would he respect the closed window, like he said he would? I waited watching and slowly finally my eyes closed letting me fall into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Author's Notes: And finally I get Crow to appear! It's been great getting responses from you guys. I've officially ended the writing for this novel. I'm going to keep posting three a week on a Monday, Thursday, Saturday routine unless I get any other ideas.

Until next time Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Lynn, David's on the phone!" Dad called. It had been a week since Heather disappeared and less than a week since I first met Crow. I hadn't seen him much since and I had a feeling he was something my mind cooked up with the lack of sleep.

I raced down the steps ignoring Betty's look of disapproval. Plucking the phone from Dad's hands I answered. "David?"

On the other side of the phone I could hear honking of horns, and people chatting, the sound of Gotham was being filtered through the tiny phone and into my ear. It sounded so wonderful.

"Hi, Lynn. I got your message," David said. David has this cute tenor voice that just rings of him being honest and good. "Sorry it took so long to get back. I was hiking in the foothills and didn't get back until today."

I moved up the stairs my breath getting heavier as I got up the second flight. Great he can go hiking for two weeks and I have to take a breather after a flight of stairs. It was just another reminder that he was so out of my league.

"How are you doing. I mean it's been three weeks right?" He said.

I paused. It had been three weeks since mom died. It felt like it had been longer. Since coming to Hamlet I had found that time passed by differently. I didn't even notice Mom wasn't there at times. Maybe that was a good thing.

"I'm holding on. I really miss home."

"Well let me tell you what's been going on." He said.

My heart leaped a little as he started to tell me about how him and his friends had made it through a long trail that took them out in the middle of no where in gotham. And that there was one time they got really close to Arkham Asylum and had to turn around out of fear of some of the crazies seeing them and try to get out. I laughed at that, but it all felt so hollow, like everything I heard didn't matter. I was here in Hamlet where there was a missing girl. A girl that could have been my friend if she lived in Gotham. And now she was missing and I was the only person her best friend had to coupe.

"Hey David." I said cutting him off of another long story, this time about some girls in our class that I barely knew. "I need to head out. But thanks for calling me."

"Call me any time alright?"

I told him I would and hung up. I opened the curtains of my window to see a black feather was tied to the window on the outside. More interesting things were happening here. I wouldn't deny that.

* * *

"Anything yet?" I asked. We were back to looking for cell signal. Logan hand his iphone raised high I was guessing he was praying to the ghost of Steve Jobs or something. Either way he was looking stupid standing on a grassy hill.

"Not yet." He muttered. "How impossible would it be for them to put out a cell tower out here?"

"Very it seems." I said walking up to a tree in the middle of the field. The tree looked tall and had a good amount of shade which I was grateful for. I sat myself down and sighed.

Logan walked around the the field. Grumbling about his yearning for modern technology.

I was getting comfortable, pulling out 'Phantom of the Opera' for another go when Logan started to make a bunch of noise.

"Yes come one little guy I can see you! Come here!"

I looked up to see he was standing by another tree the phone again raised up in the air Logan jumping up and town. My eyes slowly moved away from him to something strange on the other side of his tree.

"Logan." I said getting up. I moved closer to the other side of the tree and suddenly me suspicions were realized. "Logan… does that look like?"

The ground on the other side of the tree had been disturbed. The ground was a perfect rectangle three by nine feet. I could feel lunch make it's way back up my throat. See growing up in a city like Gotham kids learned quick when you came across something weird. Normally it was a mob hit that you came across. Best thing to do there was to inform the police, thought an untraceable source to tell them where the body was and then to get the hell out of town.

Three by nine is the standard size a mortuary would use for a burial plot. And with no tomb stone I doubted it was a planned plot by the township.

"You have cell signal?" I asked.

Logan nodded grimly. "Call 911?"

* * *

The police arrived quickly with a group of medical people I assumed were there incase there was a body. From what Logan was told the property was owned by the city and was not to be used for burying anything. Officer Wake was there again to talk to us. He didn't drive us home. It seems he was more than happy to talk to us around the hood of his car.

"So, you were looking for cell signal when you saw the dirt."

Logan who was still playing cool smiled. "Sir, it's not like we dug it. Do you really think my sister could lift a big shovel of dirt?"

Wake gave me a quick look. Was he actually thinking we did this? Sure we're the weird new kids in town, but heck, I wasn't able to dig that much dirt. I'd have a asthma attack before I got a foot deep.

"Right," he said making some notes. "So this was just an accident? You two have been busy around here haven't you."

"I think we've been two outsiders who the police like to think we're doing something." I said the prickle of annoyance was creeping in.

Wake didn't press that matter, I thought I had won my little part of the war, but I heard too hurried footsteps come closer.

"Sir.. we need to get the kids out of here." He said. He was younger, maybe just in his twenties, what I did noticed was how green he looked.

Wake turned to look at the hill, my curiosity got to me and I looked as well. True enough I could see a form coming out of the dirt. God, we were right, someone was buried there. I tried to focus on the figure to see if anything struck me. I noticed it was wearing something black the flowed in the wind. Then I saw it, the red hair.

"No." I said shaking moving away from Logan.

Logan looked back as well his eyes became dinner places. "No way?"

In all my time living in Gotham I've never seen a dead body. With the crime rate being outrageous and with the constant mob wars I was due to see a body sooner or later. I just didn't believe it was the body of someone I knew, and that it wouldn't be in Gotham at all.

Wake let out a low curse and looked at us. "I'm going to have one of my men take you home. Don't tell anyone."

"Her friends should know." I said looking at Wake. "Her best friend should know."

Wake shook his head as the young officer came by. "Fine, but only the Crane boy. Davis take these kids home."

We were put into another cop car and driven back to Betty's place. The whole time I felt numb. Just like I felt when Dad told me to call the phone. I wanted to push the feeling away. I had to push it away. I couldn't break down now. Dad telling me to call 911 and that he couldn't feel mom breathing.

Logan caught on to the look I was giving. He was lucky, he wasn't home when it happened. He was spared as the EMS had rushed into the master bedroom and tried to revive mom… but they didn't, she had already been dead they said.

I had to be the one to call Logan home, Dad was a mess. I had to take care of everyone, make sure the food that we had gotten was managed, I never knew people made so much food for those who were grieving. I managed to keep us together as we figured out what mom would want for her funeral. I knew her favorite flower and I knew what music she loved. I took care of it all, and now I was taking care of this too.

* * *

As we pulled up I saw Betty poke her head. Dad was sitting on the porch and was placing his book down when I bolted from the car. I could hear someone yell at me as I dashed into the tall grass right to the scarecrow praying that Jon was there. When I got to the small clearing I could hear Betty calling out for me. I ignored her as I got up the courage to cross into the other side of the thick grass.

I had to take care of him. I always took care of people, and I was the only one who could talk to Jon about this. So gathering up all my courage I bolted through the grass.

I was blinded by the grass at first, then my sighted opened up to the most haunted farm I'd ever seen.

The farm looked to be a cut out of some horror movie. The paint on the buildings were chipped and flaking off. The roofs were rusted tin that I doubted the structural integrity. Around the yard there were dead things everywhere. This wasn't like Betty's yard where things were manicured to perfection. No, this was a place where life was not allowed to be. No wonder Jon acted so weird.

I noticed the large chapel that was tucked away in the corner of the lot. It's paint stripped steeple pierced the blue sky a black crow perched above cawing it's little lungs out.

Moving closer to the large farm house I started to wonder how smart of an idea this was. Should I go and wait for Jon at the Scarecrow and hope he shows up? Or maybe just call him on the phone?

My fear was starting to edge in when I heard a door slam, or maybe a car backfiring. From the front of the farm house a woman walked out. This woman was everything I ever imagined as a woman who would strike fear into a young boy. She was a thin, model thin, the kind that has too much pride in their thin form. Her face was pulled tight with what I imagined to be a facelift. She had a ridiculously big black hat and a modest black dress on. She marched herself out of the house with a grace that did not belong to a great grandmother.

"Who the devil are you?" She shouted. Her voice was a shrill southern accent that carried a venom of hatred.

"I'm Lynn, I'm living next door."

"The whore who's been stealing the little monster away correct?" she promptly placed her long thin hands on her hips.

"I've been seeing Jonathan, yes." I said my voice becoming a little stronger. How could she call her own flesh and blood a monster? I chose to ground my feet as she rounded on me.

"Oh yes, he's spoken about you. You the heathen from the north. You're trespassing. I have signs that say I'll prosecute."

"I'm sorry. I just need to tell Jon somethin."

That's when I saw him. He was in the doorway of the house. I might have missed him if it wasn't for the sun shining off of his glasses. He looked almost horrified as he looked at me. So I might have done something really stupid, okay I got it.

"You can tell him some other time. He's busy."

"Heather's body's been found." I said blurting it out. I didn't want it to wait and him find out days after a funeral or anything like that.

From the doorway I didn't see a change, then his hand shaking took the doorframe. I wished I had told him differently, but with the devil grandma in front of me I didn't want to try.

"Logan and I found the grave. She was buried two miles from here. I just watched them pull her from the ground. Jon, I'm so sorry."

Tears were forming again. Why did I use the 'so sorry' I hated so sorry's they were the bread and butter of what people said when someone dies. But I said them, and I meant them, how can you say anything else at this moment. The first few seconds are so painful. Knowing you'll never be with that person again. Hell he had planned on going to the North with her to get away from this town. What else is there to say but 'I'm so sorry?'

Jon was a stature. His grandmother rounded her head back to look at him. "Devil! Get back to your chores or I'll have you praying to the lord god for your disobedience."

He stayed still I saw his mouth moving. I think he was saying 'scarecrow, tomorrow' Then he slipped into the darkness of the house.

"Heathen, leave this place now, or I'll call the police on you!" The old woman yelled.

I backed away knowing I was more than out matched. So I slowly made my way back home when a thought pushed through. There weren't any animals on the farm… not even goats.

I didn't turn to look back. If I did then that woman would know I was onto something. If there weren't any goats here, then that means someone was getting hurt enough to cry out. And the only person who would sound like that would be… Jon.

* * *

I couldn't eat much that night. None of my normal self soothing helped. I just paced back and forth in my bedroom thinking. Should I leave a note for Crow? Was Crow even a real thing? The more I thought about him the more I tried to convince myself that he wasn't real.

I opened the window right after sundown. Not even five minutes with it open I started to hear the yelling again. My stomach felt sick. I couldn't go out there and save him from whatever punishment he was going through. I didn't have the strength. Hell I didn't think I could go back on that property with knowing what she was doing to him.

So I sat on my roof hoping Crow would show up. I was hoping he would show and yet, I really hoped I had been dreaming.

There was a knock on my door. "Come in?" I said poking my head back out of the window.

Logan wandered in looking frazzled. I pulled myself from the window and gave him a once over. He looked like crap. His eyes were dark and his skin paler than our normal Irish heritage allowed.

"What's wrong?" I asked getting closer.

"Can we just, talk? I'm not able to sleep… I keep hearing the phone ring."

The phone. He didn't need to tell me what phone. Because he was at his friends house when mom died he had been the most removed from the situation. I closed my window and had him sit on the window seat. I could still hear the yells, but I did my best to push that situation out of the way.

"I just, I feel like such an idiot. Going to my friends house? What was I thinking?" He said a bit of a shiver running through him. "I didn't even say goodbye, or goodnight to her."

I nodded letting him speak. "She still loved you."

"So? What kind of a son was I? I was running around with the rest of my friends getting into trouble. At least you stayed at home with her. I just thought."

Logan had thought he would have more time. We all think we have more time. I put an arm around him resting his head on my shoulder.

"We'll be okay."

"Who loses a parent at our age?" He said, I could hear his words choke out of him as he spoke.

"It's a badge that we have to carry. It's not one of honor, but it's of respect. No one can say we haven't had a hard time."

"Then Dad sends us out here. No where, with nothing but a weird next door neighbor who has a crush on you and a murderer on the loose."

"Sounds like Gotham."

"Nix the weird next door neighbor." Logan said.

"Jon doesn't have a crush on me." I said trying to clean up at least that false statement.

"Sure he does. You hang around him enough."

"I'm helping him grieve the loss of his best friend."

"He should help you grieve for mom." Logan sad. His voice became quiet. "You haven't cried. You just became one large stone faced statue who got things done. I don't think I've seen you smile."

I'd smiled. Sure I wasn't joking around like I used to, but I laughed. I was corjil with people. Hell Jon and I became friends… well he's just as emotionally stifled as I was, so maybe that wasn't the best choice of people to compare to.

It was true, I hadn't cried. I didn't think I could. There was just a large numb whole in my chest that wouldn't let me. Why should I cry when I have a life to live. I know it's stupid and someone is going to tell me it is, but I just didn't want to open that gate up. I feared that once I did I would never be the same girl.

"You know what I miss." I said finally. "The way mom would wear that ugly pink robe around the house."

Logan's face carried a small smile. "God that thing was ugly. It looked like she skinned a muppet. You know what I miss? I miss the midnight runs to the store and picking up snack food just for the hell of it."

"God chocolate covered popcorn from Ruddy's." I sighed. "She loved those."

"Those and strawberry soda. Who likes strawberry soda?"

"Mom did."

We became quiet the sounds of screaming were dying down. Maybe his grandmother stopped whatever torture she had planned. Logan pulled away putting on his tough guy appearance again.

"I'll see you in the morning. Maybe Crane can come over."

"Maybe, if you'll play nice."

Logan shrugged. "He's weird but he likes you, so I should let that count for something."

When he was gone I felt ten times more removed from everyone. Picking up a notebook I scrawled out a message. It said:

Crow. You want me to trust you? Then help me keep Jon safe. He needs a friend right now and I can't watch him when he's at his grandmother's house. Contact me soon.

Lynn

I slid the paper under the window and wedged it so it wouldn't get blown away. Then settling into bed I just watched the small paper flicker in the night time breeze. Maybe Crow would get it… maybe I had imagined him. I was starting to hope that I hadn't.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey guys, so this was a hard chapter to write. Parental death is hard. I myself lost my mother when I was 21, it's not easy and for some people the death doesn't hit you for a good year or so later. I did write a good part of this story in memory of her. Losing a parent at a young age is hard, and for any of you who have gone through that know that it will change. Sure ten years after something is going to hit you out of left field and knock you on your butt, but know that those times will pass.

Thanks again for all the reviews, it's great to hear form everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I spent the whole morning outside. I had taken some snack food and set out a small camp around the scarecrow waiting for Jon. I entertained myself by weaving the tall grass stalks into mats that I sat down for sitting areas and for the food I brought. I had completed three mats when I heard a rustling through the grass.

Jon appeared. To say he looked nice to be a lie. He looked like hell. His arms were bigger and I noticed there were bandages on his hands. He stumbled forward trying to be more graceful. He was failing at that too.

"What did she do to you?" I said moving over to him. I helped him down on the ground.

"Nothing. She told me to clean out a nest of crows. I got careless."

He was lying. But in his state I didn't feel like pressuring him. Instead and offered him an apple. His long hands wrapped around it, those calloused hands touching mine again.

"Have you ever used lotion?" I asked.

He looked at me confused. "No?"

I rummaged through the bag I brought and pulled out a bottle of lotion. "Hands, let me see them."

He put the apple in his lap and put his hands out. I put a dime size amount in my hands and started to rub it into his skin. He was looking at what I was doing with the same amount of interest a science major would look at a delicate experiment. Trepidation and wonderment at the same time.

I pulled away smiling. "How do they feel."

"Like I'm sweating."

"Let it soak in. Once your skin gets the nourishment it needs it should repair itself."

"Repaire?" He looked at his hands. "Like getting rid of the calluses?"

The words that Logan said last night came back. Jon might have a crush on me. I looked up into his eyes. Those eyes that matched the georgia sky, and I wondered. Would it be such a bad thing to have a guy here in the south.

The small voice in my head scoffed 'of course it would! You can't even keep in contact with David, how would you stay in contact with Jon. He doesn't have internet, and his grandmother would have a cow then actually kill him.' For me that was all I needed. I just gave a polite smile and pulled out another apple. "I'm sorry."

Jon nodded the mood between us becoming more solom. "You know what I'm going through. You lost a parent, I've lost my friend. For me it's close enough."

I leaned in putting an arm around him. I never noticed how small he was, I mean he was still well over six feet in height, but under all that baggy clothing I could feel nothing but bone. I held back any noise I was about to let go of. He didn't need confusing, I didn't need confusing. I knew I liked his company, that was all.

Jon pulled me closer and started to do the one thing I hadn't. He cried. No one looks good when they cry. That's just a fact. You're eyes are puffy, snot starts to flow down your nose. I've seen so much crying this summer that I knew how ugly it could get.

He looked up at me, he of course is an outlier. His eyes were brighter, full of emotion. I knew it was grief, but it was still more emotion than I had ever seen from him.

I pulled him back into a hug. My hands started to pet his hair slowly. "Go on, let it all out." I said quietly.

He didn't speak. It wasn't like Logan who threw all his insecurities out on the floor. No Jon was more like me. He'll cry, but he'll never let anyone inside long enough to know if the tears were the only thing needed. He needed the time to think it through. He needed to be strong so he can find the killer.

He stayed like that for a long moment then pulling away he rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to find that bastard."

I kept my hand on his back. "I know,"

"I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him for good." He then looked at me. "We need her autopsy report."

"Won't there be pictures in that?" I said not wanting to see a dead body again. Jon also paused at that. He probably didn't remember that they put pictures of dead bodies in those things. I wasn't sure about him, but I didn't want to see a cut open human body, especially a body that used to be someone I knew.

Jon shook his head. "I need to know how she died. The newspaper didn't say anything, I think they're a load of bullshit. Her family isn't giving an open casket funeral."

"Do you know how they're handling it?"

"I hope they feel guilty. She would have never have been at that party, she would have been home with her siblings like she used to be before she came out to them. She should be home right now looking at apartments in Gotham."

"But you guys weren't going to live in Gotham till next year."

"Some people need any hope they can get," He said looking up at her, "Right now my hope is to get that file."

I looked up at the large sky. In Gotham I never paid much attention to the sky, Most of the time I just ignored it and kept my mind on the streets. But the large sky was so wide and deep that I felt like it would swallow me whole. How were we going to get that file? I wasn't a mastermind at sneaking into places, and I doubted Jon was.

"The file would be at the sheriff's place. He's totally prehistoric keeping things in normal filing cabinets."

"You're joking?"

"No money for a new computer system." Jon said taking a small bite from the apple. "And who's going to sneak into the police department?"

No one. Not in a town like this. If it was Gotham well, I think I shouldn't bring a real city into this, it's unfair for Hamlet and their small police force. They probably had maybe two maybe three cops here? It's not like they're prepared for this.

* * *

Our plan was hatched for the day of Heather's funeral. We would go in, give our respects then make a beeline for the police station. I had packed one 'nice' dress, and it was more of a summery dress in a light blue, not the customary black that everyone was wearing.

Jon had on a suit. It was ill fitted, but I could see the makings of something in that cheap suit. He didn't show any nervous behavior. Lucky, I on the other hand was an emotional wreck. I had gone to mom's funeral in a haze. I don't remember much of it now. Just a lot of people crying and my mom's friends talking about her.

Heather's funeral was being held at a church, go figure. There was a swarm of kids outside talking. This might have been the first time these kids had to wear black. Sucks to be them. I thought bitterly.

As we entered Jon and I had to talk to the family. I suddenly knew where Heather got her lack of height from, both her parents. Jon and I looked like giants walking up to them. Okay Jon looked more like a tolkien elf and I looked like and orc of some kind, semantics.

Heather's mother was a bigger woman, whose make up was long gone from crying. No one told her to look for waterproof mascara today, ah well. She grabbed onto Jon's hand her tears starting again.

"Oh Jonathan, you came!" She said sniffling.

Jon's face was cold. I mean the woman's lost her daughter Jon, give her a break? "I had to Mrs. Turner." I could hear that cold rage burning under his very patient tone. At least he wasn't going for her throat first thing.

But that's when the woman did something I didn't expect Jon to see. She pulled him down into a sobbing, sniveling hug.

"You were her best friend. She always threatened to run off with you to Gotham!"

Her voice carried through the church, making many of the mourners to turn and watch the spectacle. I only wished I had a camera. Heather would have loved to see this. Jon in his awkward glory getting forcefully hugged by her mother.

Heather's Mom pulled Jon away. "You'll be fine. You were the one with a plan. I just wish she knew how much her father and I are sorry about what we said… It's just not… not."

Her husband pulled his wife into a close embrace letting Jon to back away and move back to me. He looked at me bewildered. In a hushed voice he spoke. " I thought it would feel good… seeing them in pain." He looked back at the family. " I was hoping to get some vengeful words in… but… how do you look at them, a family who actually let me come over for dinners, who didn't think twice about my clothing and let me go to movies. I thought when they told Heather that she was a sinner that they had lost all the goodness in them… I… I was wrong." I watched him as he took my hand. "I'm going to make this right."

"How can you make it right?" I said quietly.

"I'm not sure… I'm going to show them that their faith in me isn't misplaced. She said I'm the one with the plan."

"Then we better get our plan in motion." I said pulling him away from the church.

"Let me say goodbye…" He said quietly. "Just give me a minute."

I walked up to the entrance and watched him slowly make his way to the coffin. It was a simple black coffin, inside would have whatever was left of Heather. If we succeeded we would know what was in there. I just prayed she was in one piece.

I could see Jon say something. His voice was too soft to make out, but there were to differing expressions. First there was the reverent look of someone who's saying goodbye, then this smile cracked onto his face. I jumped looking at him in that moment. Where did he have it in him to smile like that? I blinked and watched my hands shaking. His smiled dropped and he placed a hand on the lid. Nodding he turned and his blue eyes locked onto mine. We had a job to do.

* * *

The police office was comical in size. When I was in second grade my class took a tour of GCPD and we even got to meet some of the officers. The place had been so huge, I often wondered how they fit all the criminals inside, that's the day I knew they could never take care of all the criminal activity in the city. But what are you going to do?

The Hamlet police department had a cozy feel to it. Three desks only two of them looked to be in use, a bunch of filing cabinets, and if I squinted really hard I could see down a hallway a small jail.

At one desk sat Officer Wake. I gave him a quick smile as we walked in. Great… so what was the plan Jon?

"Sir." Jon said walking up to Wake. "Has there been any news?"

Wake looked up from his computer with a look that spelled out that that would be a negative, but Jon kept pushing. I stood with him looking at the metal cabinet. How the hell was I going to deal wit that? Then it hit me.

"Umm Officer. Can I use the restroom. The church's line was a monster and I drink like four cups of water before leaving the house. I know stupid," I started to rant about my bladder. There was something I picked up from watching people. If an embarrassing topic is mentioned then people will best try to avoid it being discussed.

"It's behind me in the back" He said cutting off my speech.

I bobbed my head and ran to the bathroom door. On my way there I grabbed one of the metal filing cabinet doors the one at the top and pulled it ajar then I opened the door to the bathroom closed while I stayed by the cabinets. I thumbed through them. Looking at names. There wasn't much. You had your normal reports on traffic violations and a drug charges… but I couldn't find her autopsy anywhere.

I looked up to see that Jon was doing his best at keeping Wake busy with nonsense questioning. Was the FBI getting involved, What was she wearing? Did she have 'such and such on her, because she would never be without such and such.'? He was good at the fast talking.

I slowly gave him a shake of my head as I closed the cabinet, then I slowly opened the bathroom door and entered. I flushed the toilet and ran the water in the sink. Then opening the door with a great to do I marched out saying thanks. Once I got out to the muggy heat I knelt down next to the door trying to get a deep breath. No it wasn't close, but it was the most illegal thing I'd done, we aren't counting the time I accidentally stole a pen from the grocery store. At least I brought it back… crying.

Jon exited a moment later hands in his pockets. His intense stare was back at the church. "They're thinking of calling the FBI."

I got up adjusting my dress. "What?"

"There's something about her death that doesn't look like a normal killing."

A normal killing? What other kind of killing was there?

Jon scratched the back of his head and looked at me. "Thanks for trying."

I didn't feel like we had tried at all. But seeing Jon's determination dim I knew that it was time we called it in for the day. Maybe if we were lucky the funeral would still be going on and I could get this boy another hug.

"Let just go home…" He finally said. I took his hand giving it a small squeeze.

"We'll find a way."

* * *

I tried to sleep that night. I tossed and turned trying to get comfortable on the bed. I think there was a spring in the mattress that had a vendetta for me. I wiggled and moved trying to get comfortable. I failed.

I was about to drag everything off the bed and sleep on the floor when I heard a light tapping on my window. No… He's not real.

The tapping was a little louder now making me groan. I had been keeping my curtains drawn in case Crow ever came back and wanted to be like a sappy paranormal romance hero. I was still pretty convinced he was either a figment of my imagination or a vampire.

I got out of bed and slipped on my pink slippers. Pulling the curtains aside I could see the outline of him from where he was kneeling on the roof. I opened the window and paused.

"Crow." I said quietly.

He didn't move, I could feel his eyes looking at me. I didn't know what I should do about that. On a normal day with normal people I would be creeped out. With a Thing, well creep didn't even touch the surface.

"I found something you might like." He muttered in his sweet but low southern voice. It sent little shivers up my spine. Okay so this is why people like the idea of southern plantation owners, I get it.

"Look, I know that message I left was kinda mixed signal based… I mean… what am I to think? You're a thing that's on my roof."

"I could come in if you asked me to."

"No!" I said quickly. "I like this bit of distance between us. Thank you."

Crow shook his head. "I have something to give you and I'll need to be closer to do so."

He had to be closer. I didn't like the sound of that. I was already creeped by him. What had I been thinking writing that letter? Asking for Crows help? What if I was asking a psychopath for help? What if Crow was the killer?

I took a deep breath and cooled off. He had come back, he didn't leave me, he came with something this time. What would it hurt? "You can come in for tonight. Alright? But only for tonight, if you happen on this roof again you'll have to ask again."

He nodded. "I would expect nothing less."

I backed away from the window as the dark figure slid into the room with the grace of a cat. He wasn't much to look at, much of his form was hidden under a bulky robe like thing he was wearing. His face blocked off by a large hood. What does this thing have to hide?

He didn't move around much, which I was thankful for. But his presence made me shiver. "What do you have for me?"

He handed me an envelope from the inside of his robe. It was a simple envelop nothing unusual about it, other than a creepy guy was the one to give it to me. I reached out and took it slowly, out hands made contact and I felt an electrical force in that touch. Pulling away quickly I held onto the envelope my knees shaking.

I'm not the girl who reads romances. Jane Austen bores me to tears, but I've heard about that electrical touch… it was from Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal Lecter's fingers grazing Clarice Starling's, it's a sensual moment, but not one I wanted to ever have. So I just watched Crow, who watched me for what felt like forever.

Then he spoke. It was soft in that lulling accent. "Are you going to look at what I brought?"

My hands decided this would be the time they would derp. I dropped the envelope twice my body shaking. Once I got it open I noticed what the front looked like… how did he?

"These are the police reports."

"All of them, only photo copies."

"But Jonathan and I couldn't get to them. How did you?" I looked up noticing he was right next to me. To my credit I didn't jump.

"The police don't keep as good of a watch at night. I called the police to another location saying there was someone dealing in drugs, they sped out and I had a good thirty minutes alone in the office." He said.

I noticed now how tall he was. Maybe a good five inches taller than myself. I looked up at the black void of a face and nodded. "Thanks… Jonathan will need to know where I got them."

"Don't." Crow said. "He doesn't know I watch out for him."

"Why do you?"

There was a long pause on that. Crow turned back to my window. "I need to go. Just don't tell Jonny I'm there… It's our little secret." Then he ducked out of the window. I ran over to see where he went… but he was gone. Just like the black bird he called himself, he was gone.

I reopened the report this time looking at it. My eyes focused on the pictures. It was Heather… but something was wrong. I needed to get this to Jonathan tomorrow. He might know what's different. Having to keep Crow a secret would be weird… but I could manage something. Maybe said I went back and did what Crow did.

Farther away I heard a crow caw. It didn't annoy me in that moment. I relaxed knowing I had someone looking out for Jonathan and myself. Even if he was some mysterious creeper, he was my guardian. My Crow.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey Guys! So I just got to see Age of Ultron yesterday. It makes me want to write a Marvel fanfic so badly. I might add one to the list, I just need to settle on some internal problems I have for my view point character. Anyway, for anyone who's seen it, what did you think? I'm debating about going to see it again just so I can get a closer look at Scarlet Witches outfits. Just so everyone knows I also cosplay, so a lot of my writing time during convention season ends up at the sewing machine instead of on the computer. Thankfully this years costumes are done and ready for the only convention I'm able to go to (yay working weekends).

I hope that any of you who have exams right now are pulling through. I'm currently working on the next story in this fanfic arc. I hope to be done with it by July, we'll see.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

We were back under the scarecrow, our hiding spot as I was calling it. Jonathan had brought some bread and I had spirited some cheese and grapes. If you didn't look at the pictures of Heather's body, or the police reports, this would look like some romantic date. But the police reports was what we were focusing on.

Taking a sip of the coke I brought I picked up the first paper. The body had been in perfect condition. Heather didn't have any bruising, anywhere, even from where she tumbled with Jonathan when we first met. She hadn't been stabbed, cut, shot, or in anyway to damage her skin.

Jonathan was chewing on a grape his blue eyes locked onto the paper. He didn't look at the photo's. That was for the best I say. No need to have the images of her in his mind. He had bought my lie about how I got the papers, well maybe he just tolerated the lie. He got what he wanted, it's best not to ask how I got it.

"I don't understand it." He said finally after an hour of us reading and re-reading the reports. "How did she die?"

"They're saying she died from a." I paused figuring out the word. "A myocardial Infarction."

"Heart attack." Jonathan muttered looking over my shoulder. He was close in this moment. I kept my nerves down as I felt a bit of his head on my cheek. "How can a sixteen year old die from a heart attack, especially one that's healthy?"

"Maybe it was hidden? My mom…" I paused before completing it. Did I have to, yes I did. "My mom had a blood clot, arteries have clots too."

"No, not for someone our age, that's too… too convenient… and who buried her? I mean there was nothing wrong with the body."

I shook my head and looked at the file, then a word caught my attention. "Formaldehyde…" I said picking the file up. Her insides were filled with formaldehyde… I knew this chemical. I mean it's obvious right? But I couldn't place where.

"That's used in embalming." Jonathan said looking at the fille. "Someone embalmed her?"

"Preserved her." I said quietly. I tried to formulate why someone would do something like that. What kind of skill you would need to know how to embalm a body, especially embalming it so well. Someone would have had to learn how to use the chemicals, plus knew how to treat a dead body.

Jonathan scanned the file then picked up the pictures. I cringed watching him look at the pictures. How could he look at them? I rarely gazed at them and I wanted to throw up.

"He did everything... " He smiled and looked at me. "This sicko knows how to treat dead bodies. No scarring from the tools he used. Nothing. Just a clean body for him to… to what?"

"Jonathan." I said putting an arm around him. "You need to stop. You're going to tire yourself out."

"We only just started. I'm not tired."

"You're overheating." I said putting a hand on his temple, he pulled away from be creating the former barrier that was around us from before we knew each other.

"I'm not. Don't play Mommy with me." He shot.

When did he suddenly feel defensive about all of this? I could see the beads of sweat running down his face. If he wasn't careful he could get sunstroke out here. It was reaching a hundred degrees and I knew I was frying in my shorts and t-shirt.

"Lets go inside for a bit. I'll get you some sweet tea?" I said trying to pull him out of his rage.

His rage was all consuming. I guessed he never got ot indulge in his inner thoughts to anyone, well other than Heather, and now I was the willing listener. He rounded on me. Not physically, but with all his determination and sheer presence.

"I didn't ask you to join me in this." He started to put the file away. "You've done enough in getting the file, I didn't need anyone to help me."

I was offended by this, what did he mean he didn't ask for help? Okay he didn't, but it's not like I've been complaining? If anything I've been a good sport. I've let him drag me around town and sneaking into the police department. I let that creeper Crow into my room so I could get the stupid file that Jonathan wanted. I never said I didn't like it. I just thought he was going a little too fast too soon, and he did look like he needed a drink.

Did I say any of this… No. Why? Well maybe somewhere deep down I felt for him. I could see that he was in pain. Looking at this report could do that to anyone. So instead I reached over and took his hand. He was burning up.

"Jonathan." I said in the calmest most soothing voice I could muster. "I'm not leaving this. Heather was sweet, and I… I want to look after you."

Sure it's not the same as saying I wanted to make out with him. Heck it's been less than a month since we met, but it also feels like we'd known each toehr for longer than that. We'd fallen into a routine of friendship, it wasn't like being with my friends in Gotham, Jonathan and I could just sit in the grass and talk, or just read. I've never had friends like that. Having someone you're able to slip into and not fall out of step, it's like that whole hoaky love at first sight deal teens get shoved with.

I didn't love Jonathan Crane, but I was devoted to take care of him. It's who I was. Logan was fine, Dad was okay, I needed someone broken to hold and tell them that it would be alright. Maybe because I needed someone to tell me that, who knows, but in that moment I was determined to keep Jonathan as my life line.

He pushed away shaking his head. "People don't take care of other people. I'm not someone who gets taken care of. You don't know what it's like…" He stopped before he could say anything else.

"Then what's it like?" I said resting my hands in my lap. "Tell me. Maybe if you spoke about it it'll get better."

"It won't." He said. He picked himself off the ground. He wobbled in that moment making it clear that he was getting dizzy. He exhaled loudly and looked down at me. "Did you Aunt make the sweet tea?" He said, his southern accent seeping in around the last two words.

We got to the house and under Betty's constant watch we sat in the dining room taking timid sips of our drinks. Jonathan had a large glass of sweet tea, and I had ice water. We didn't speak. I knew if I brought up him needing to tell someone, to trust someone he would crack and we would fight again. I wasn't going to do that with Betty watching us. It was bad enough that she didn't like Jonathan, the moment she got a whiff that he wasn't nice to me she would kick him out, then he would have no one to talk to.

Once I got the drinks in us I heard Logan bound down the steps. He paused at the landing looking at us. I could tell he was planning something.

"Okay, who wants to come with me to get cell signal?" He said loudly. My brother the guy who might not be the brightest bulb in the box was able to read out situation. I needed someone who could listen to Jonathan and be away from Betty.

"Cell signal?" Jonathan said quietly.

"Yeah I was going to call some people from home. You can join us. I think they got those pictures of the city ready by now." He said at if it was a non thing. Thank god I have a brother as smooth as him.

The promise of seeing a large city was enough to get Jonathan to agree. After we had fully cooled off we grabbed our snacks from the tree and made our way to the field. I had an odd feeling that Logan was watching us, and my suspicions were confirmed once we were out of earshot of Betty's place.

"Okay, so are you two dating or something?" Logan finally said.

I had been eating some of the graps and almost gagged. Strangely Jonathan was at my side in a moment making sure I was alright. For a guy who didn't to be near people he sure wanted to take care of me. "No!" I finally said taking a deep breath. "W-why would you say that?"

"You two are around each other a lot." Logan shrugged. "I'm not judging. I'm over it, my sister gets to have a date while I'm waiting for the girls in town to call."

"They won't." Jonathan said, his voice was gaining more certainty as he spoke. "You're a Yankee. They won't want to have a roll with someone from the north. It doesn't happen."

"And you're different."

"I wasn't born here. Even if I did start living with my Great Grandmother when I was one it doesn't mean anything. I started my life in the north and the kids in this town hold it over me every day."

Logan's face no longer hand his chipper look. Nope. The guy was looking at Jonathan with new light. "So, you've always been picked on?"

"In kindergarten they would call me the Yank. I got the name of scarecrow after that when I grew taller. I've always had a nickname that I wasn't proud of. My mother named me Jonathan for some reason. I want her memory to live in that name."

"Hence why you hate it when Dad calls you Jon?" I asked.

"Only Heather could call me that, and she got my respect early on."

We continued to walk. Logan looked at me. "You two still act like a couple." He said quickly.

I was going to defend myself when Jonathan took control of the conversation. "I think we don't have much choice but to be around each other. It's that or your sister will be stuck in doors. You could always be around when we talk?"

Logan looked at me looking for confirmation. I nodded. Nope, no feelings at all. Okay maybe some, but I'm a girl I can get crushes on the nerdy guy next door. Not big deal! I fell in love with David because of gym class. Jonathan is just another side crush to my destiny with David… right?

"What do you two talk about?"

Time to come clean. "Heather's death." I said.

Logan blinked. "Morbid."

"We're trying to figure out who did this." Jonathan said. "I want to know who did this. I want to know so I can see their face."

I noticed the anger in his voice. I reached out and took his hand. He snapped out of it, his eyes blinking away the anger I could see behind them.

Logan shook his head. "And that's why I thought you were dating. Who holds hands but dating couples."

With that we both let go. Was he right? No! I didn't like Jonathan like that! Come on. Logan was just being jealous. That's all. I didn't even think about Jonathan at night… except when Crow was around. God what was I going to do about Crow?

As my mind started to spiral about the creeper that liked to stay by my window I was pulled out of it from two things. Thing one was Jonathan's hands on my shoulders pulling me back into him. The second was the bright yellow police tape that was all over the field.

The field where they found Heather's body looked like a war zone. There were a number of holes in the ground. The red clay soil was placed in little mounds around the area. it looked organized. It was organized on both ends. Who ever put the things in the holes placed them neatly in rows, then the FBI agents were taking great care in uncovering the graves. I was guessing they were graves. They matched in size and with the police finding Heather… this meant. Oh god, the man who killed Heather has killed others before. Which was-

"A serial killer." Jonathan said. His voice carried an edge of cold to it. His eyes locked onto an FBI agent that was moving closer. We were innocent. Logan wanted to talk to some people in Gotham. But that didn't mean I wasn't shaking like a school kid who pulled another kids hair on the play ground. It's my natural guilt, I should have been Catholic.

The FBI Agent on closer inspection was not that much older than us. He definitely rang the whole 'just out of college' look with his shaggy hair and slightly speckled skin. His thick rimmed glasses reminded me of the geeky guy from the nineteen fifties. Honestly, I thought he was an okay guy.

"Excuse me guys, but we have a federal investigation." He said. His voice was lighter than I imagined a federal agent to have. They can't all be Mr. Smiths.

"Sorry sir." Jonathan said cutting in. I could see it the nerdists attracting. The two of them were giving each other the appraising look that I saw the geeky kids at school give one the first day. Were they both on the same page? Did they both watch the same TV shows. The correlation being did Jonathan and the Not Mr. Smith read the same books.

"We were trying to make a call. See this is the only place close that has cell signal." Jonathan continued.

The FBI Agent sighed. "Alright, make the call quick. We have some work that needs done."

Logan was pulling out his phone as Jonathan kept speaking. "Strange, it looks like you've found more bodies."

The Agent watched Jonathan. "We did?"

"All female? About the same age?" he continued.

The agent turned to face Jonathan squarely. He was placing his hands firmly on each side and had a wide study stance. This form of posture was what someone of a weaker standing takes when showing they need to be in control. "How would you know that?"

"The first body…" Jonathan started. "She was my best friend… I want to know who is doing this. And it seems that the person has been doing this for a while. Which means you have a repeat killer on your hands, more commonly called a serial killer."

The FBI Agent stood there, his face looked amused. "Studying to go into the field."

"Just a regular student who likes to figure out how the mind works." Jonathan said.

Logan had gotten through to the other side and was talking farther away from us. I decided to stick by Jonathan.

"He's very bright." I said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Also he knows the town."

The agent smiled at the two of us. "If we have any questions we'll come calling. It's doubtful that the killer lives near by."

Jonathan blinked a few times, I could see the computer in his head ticking away. "But the killer buried the bodies in a place that only towns people would know isn't being used for anything. Some intimate knowledge of the party that Heather went to and where I'm guessing she was taken. Only the parents and adults in this town know about it. And by the number of bodies I would say this man's been doing this for a while. He didn't have anyone come out here because I've never wandered around this area and my neighbor doesn't have any kids who would look for cell signal."

I watched Jonathan a smile creeping onto my lips. When he became factual like that I just had to see him in proper clothing and giving a presentation in front of people who knew what he was talking about.

The FBI Agent smiled as well. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "I'll tell my superiors. what's your name?"

"Jonathan Crane."

The man nodded. "Call me if you think of anything else. Mr. Crane."

Jonathan took that card and as we slowly moved away he kept looking that the vanilla card. The dark lettering was in a sterile print that said:

Agent Morgan T. Coldwell

Profile FBI

His phone number was on the opposite side. Jonathan held that little card like it was made out of gold. I couldn't stop smiling about it. He got noticed by an FBI agent. That's like a normal person getting noticed by their favorite actor. The guy could walk on clouds the rest of the way home.

But my mind was thinking back to those other bodies. Several other girls had died and were now being found. It wasn't right. Those girls deserved to be put to rest with their loving families.

* * *

Author's Notes: So I finally got to see Age of Ultron! I really want to work on a marvel fanfic (which I would do after this and my next fanfic are done and posted). I've always been a Batman fan, but in recent years I've been enjoying what Disney has done with Marvel. I'm just hoping some of my more favorite Marvel characters end up over at Disney soon. I don't know, what do you guys think of the new Marvel movies?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The sky had chosen to open up a few days later. Rain in summer has always been a pain in the ass thing. But rain in the south during summer was like a blessed release. The temperature drops and it's almost tolerable, then the sky splits and all the moisture in the air comes rocketing to earth.

I was sitting on my window seat looking outside. I wondered how Crow stayed dry. Hell I wondered how Crow did anything other than stalk my window at night. It's not like there's many places for a guy like him to hide. And the rain was going to soak everything.

I heard a knock on my door. "Hey sis, can I come in?" Logan asked.

"What do you want?" I asked as he opened the door.

My brother leaned there his face drawn into a worried fit. "I've been thinking. About the amount of time you and Crane have been sharing."

"Going back to using his last name now?" I snapped.

"Look, I bet he's nice, in a nerdy, kinda creepy way. But I wasn't here to diss your choice of friends." he looked out the window shaking his head. "You're doing what you do best. Helping people. He needs that. I see it. But are you sure this is the best way to deal with all the stuff you're going through?"

What did Logan mean? I was dealing with things. It's not like I was shoving my feelings down to keep everyone else afloat. No I didn't need to cry. I was like Jon I needed to get things done so everything could go back to the new normal. Once they were I would be better, everything would be better.

Logan shrugged again. "Fine, be all tight lipped. You and Crane have more in common then I thought."

And with that he turned leaving me alone in the pink room of hell. I was going to go after him. Tell him that being like Jon wasn't so bad. But downstairs the phone rang and then Betty shouted. "Lynn It's for you!"

I lugged myself from my resting spot and trotted down the steps. Betty sat in her manicured living room holding the phone out with distaste. My heart skipped. Did Jon try to call me instead of coming over to visit? "It's for you." she said her voice giving a bit of a disapproving tone.

I took the phone. "Hello?" I asked tentatively.

"Lynn," Came a voice I didn't expect. It was David. I let out a held breath feeling disappointed. I had hoped to talk to John. When did I rather want to be around Jon than David?

"Hey I wanted to see how you were doing. Everyone's been asking about you."

That launched David into telling me the social landscape of Gotham. Who was with who, why the idiots from the bad side of town were doing. What my 'friends' were doing. Everything he said was boring, shallow even. Why did the social standing of some underage kids matter when there were bigger things out there. There was a crime spree in Gotham that all of my friends ignored. There were people who needed help, physically and mentally. To talk about their newest shopping spree or who they were dating seemed vapid.

Maybe being around death changes a person.

I was outside while David clued me in. The rain was still pouring down. I watched the corn swayed from the downpour. And then the corn split and a figure appeared. I had seen him first from the corner of my eye and my heart started to shudder. Had Crow chosen to show himself at my house during daylight?

My eyes focused to see Jon fighting his way through the corn a large black umbrella blocking most of the rain from hitting him. David just kept droning on and on in my ear.

"Hey David." I said stopping him in the midst of his fascinating view into the relationship two of our classmates were in. "I need to go. I'll talk to you later." Before he could say anything I hung up.

The phone was out of my hand and I was launching myself off the porch and into the rain. My long skirt catching the water and my tanktop sticking to my lumpy form. "Jonathan!" I shouted running up to him.

He smiled as I made it to the protection of his umbrella. He looked amused seeing me wet from the rain. "You know I was making my way to the house. You could have waited?"

And it hit me. I didn't want to wait. Hell I never wanted to wait again. So what if I had a crush on the nerd next door. At least he had a mind that thought of deeper things than his peers. To call it love was too soon, even for me, but I did care about him.

He got me to the porch, inside I could see Betty shaking her head and going off deeper into the house. Jon closed the umbrella his smile fading. "I've been talking to the agent."

"Agent Coldwell right?" I asked.

Jon nodded. "He's interested in my views of the town. Seems I'm the only one here he thinks has any idea of what's happening."

I leaned closer to him crossing my arms. "What did he say?"

Jon looked out to the rain soaked fields. He was working on something, something big that he didn't want me to know. Did he think I was scared? That I would pull away if something bad happened? He looked back at me fixing his glasses. "There has been another girl, she went missing yesterday."

Another girl? The air around me shifts. No longer is this a romantic moment where I would confess I had feeling for him. No, the rain seemed sinister, the sound of it a laugh at what we were trying to stop. "Where did she live?"

"Not far, a few towns over, but still within the killers range. Also they're identifying the bodies to girls who have either 'run away' or went missing within the last few years. I didn't get that many details. That's when Agent Coldwell stopped talking."

I reached out and took his hand. "We still don't know anything about the killer?"

He gave my hand a squeeze. But thankfully he didn't let go. "This killer doesn't know what he's messing with."

There was that edge again. That hate that I saw when he spoke about this killer. Jon had no knowledge of the monster other than it killed Heather and would surely continue to kill girls just like her. In that hate I saw Jon, saw the passion that was under the surface. I gave his hand another squeeze and his eyes cleared.

"We're going to catch him. Aren't we?" He asked, now his voice was not so strong.

I let his hand go and pulled him into a hug. He was stiff at first, but slowly relaxed. I didn't care what Betty and everyone thought about us. I was going to protect Jonathan from what was happening. I was doing it for my own pain, and my own needs. No one could tell me otherwise.

* * *

Dad caught Jon and I sitting on the porch a while later and offered us a bit of a treat. Well to my Father it's a treat. I don't understand how going to Wal-Mart was going to be anything fun. Jon didn't say no and honestly to get out of the small town would do wonders for both of us.

So half an hour later we were in another bigger town, one that had an honest gas station and grocery store… okay so it was just the wal-mart. Logan went in hopes of getting wifi, I just wanted out of the house. Dad on the other hand was looking for fishing supplies. Why he couldn't go to the questionable tackle shop in Hamlet I had no idea.

When we reached the large parking lot for the Walmart. The cars that were amassed by the store were one of the following. A truck that had more tire than it did truck. Another truck that I had to figure out of it was naturally rust red or if it was just rusted all the way through. Lastly there were high end cars, but those were like two out of the whole of the parking situation.

Jon and I got out of the car. Logan was already high tailing it to the store, I think I could smell the mcdonalds that was connected to the wal-mart. At least I would know where to find him. Dad on the other hand held back. "Alright, I'll see you guys in a little while. Maybe thirty minutes we'll meet up in the mcdonalds?"

Well at least my smell was still spot on. "Sure." Then my Dad started off in the same direction at Logan leaving Jon and I standing there the sky darkening.

We walked inside as the rain started up again. Inside the walmart I almost forgot it was raining outside. the big box store had a lack of personality and in that matter class. I know I shouldn't complain walmarts are all the same right? All of it is standardized? Right?

Turning the first corner in the store I saw nothing by camo decorating the 'home decor' section of the store. I took a step back, Jon being more perceptive than me pulled me back as a woman with a cart rushed passed us, her ass as wide as the shopping cart. What kind of hell did I walk into?

Jon steered me to a quiet section, also known as the book iles. Between the newest Nora Roberts and Duck Dynasty I took some deep breaths. "I didn't just see that."

Jon poked his head out the isle. "Which? The shrine to hunting or the patrons of Mcdonald's."

"All the above!" I cried. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because it's better than sitting at home listening to you Aunt." He said a smile peeking. "Also better than being at my house."

And this is the life he had. Jonathan's only escape was a mass marketed store where he could get a meal that might contain beef product in it. I started to add to my list of things I was going to do once he moved to Gotham, namely showing what real food tastes like.

We started to wander the store. There were some interesting things there, well interesting as in 'I didn't know Walmart sold that!'. They were things like fabric, canning supplies, fish. Why would anyone want to buy fish from Walmart? Looking at the dull goldfish I noticed that one of them wasn't moving anymore and had turned belly up in the water. Eww.

Jon steered me away from the disaster of a pet section down one of the main iles. He stopped quickly a hand flying to my arm to pull me back. I looked farther down to see what was making him so distraught. The answer was a group of guys that I had met once before, outside the church during my first outing into Hamlet.

Our luck was out of the picture because the group had caught sight of us as well. The largest boy gave a sickening grin and walked up to us like this was his palace and we were his unwanted guests.

"So you're still sticking with Scarecrow are you?" He said.

Jon's hand gripped my arm. "Leave her alone Bo." He said through gritted teeth. His accent was coming back with a vengeance.

"I always thought cows were the only things that could stand Scarecrows." Bo said, obviously it was the most cunning remark he could think. He had to pick on my weight. Out of everything he could point out, my hair, my large feet, anything, he had to go for the low blow.

Jon straightened up and I saw him like a cobra fanning his hood out ready to strike. I had only a moment to figure out what I was going to do. I tugged on Jon's arm and did the one thing I knew would break his concentration. I kissed him.

Kissing is a messy thing when both participants are inexperienced. There a bit of coordination that people don't warn you about. As a young teen I was told by my older high school friends that girls should practice kissing. How the hell do you practice an act that requires two people? I didn't know and for my first kiss I think it showed.

Jon was timid and I think I was the one doing any work for the kiss. He had become a stone statue next to me. And when I pulled away his glasses were tilted and face a deep shade of red. But he didn't look angry. If anything I think he was shocked that I had just kissed him in front of everyone who hated him.

He didn't wait to hear the jeers he grabbed my hand and pulled me down a different aisle. When we were out of sight he whipped around to face me. I never saw an expression like what he had. His eyes were wide. His face still red from me kissing him. But there was a small smile on his lips.

"Why did you do that?"

When he said it I had to focus. It was barely a whisper. He looked down at his feet head shaking a little. "Were you trying to prove something?"

Well, yeah I was in a way. I wanted to rub it in the face of those redneck losers that Jon could have a girl who liked him. I'm not saying girlfriend yet, It would be best to take it one step at a time.

My silence didn't help the situation, Jon's smile disappeared. "If you wanted to 'help' me you could have asked. I didn't need you kissing me in front of those idiots to show them I'm not a freak."

"I didn't do it for that." I responded. My heart was racing in my chest. When I spoke next the words came out in a tumble.

Jon paused. "Repeat that, slowly."

"I really like you." I repeated. "This summer has been saved because you're in it. I know we're dealing with a killer out there, but I don't think there is anyone else I would rather be doing this with. You're smart, maybe the smartest guy I know. You have amazing eyes, and you're kind, really kind. And now that's out I'm going to go over to the candy section and devour the total of reeses peanutbutter cups until I die of high blood sugar."

I was about to turn when his hand shot out and pulled me back. At first I thought he was going to be angry. Saying a guys 'nice' is never a winning strategy when you're trying to ask them out. Me I chose all the boring ones to go by. But Jon didn't yell at me instead a wicked smile grew on his face.

"You mean that?" He asked, his voice was soft under the blare of the walmart speakers. "You like me?"

I nodded unsure what else to say about my confession. He started to laugh. "Me?" Is all he said pulling away. "You like me?"

I was worried how I should respond to his question. Yes I liked him. I said it. Shouldn't this be the moment he tells me he likes me too and we kiss and ride off into the sunset on a rainbow unicorn? But me being the dumb idiot I stood there nodding.

He shook his head lookind down at our feet. "I thought I was the only one."

Wait.

What?

"You mean you."

He shrugged now that wicked smile seemed a bit derpy. Who knew genius Jonathan Crane could have a good guy expression like everyone else. More accurately he looked just as bashful as I felt. "You've been my saving grace."

I blushed with that. It was out there, we liked each other. That was out in the open. But with that being out I knew there was one problem that we would have to deal with sooner or later.

"But I live in Gotham." I muttered.

Jon shook his head. " But I won't be stuck here forever. I have an application with Gotham University that I'm waiting on. This time next year I could be up there… a year isn't so bad right?"

There was the hurt look. The kicked puppy look that he gave me. Slightly winced eyes, furrowed brow. His eyes peering from above his glasses. Why didn't he have a violin solo playing in the back group to make it worse! I could give a long distance a try. I mean who else was I going to try it with? And the thought of letting him disappear back into the Georgia wilderness was too much. I needed Jonathan in my life.

"No, I don't think it would."

That when we both smiled like total dorks.

* * *

Author's Notes: And the romance finally kicks in! I've been working on the Sequel to First Kill, I'm not sure what I'm calling it yet. But once I do I'll update you guys.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. For me Mother's Day is not my favorite holiday. I scroll on Facebook and everyone is saying how they get to go out to eat with their moms, and at work I see all these mothers come in with their kids and grand kids. It really sucks, ya know? So for those of you who had an awesome mother's day, congrats, and for those of you who didn't, get yourself some chocolate, or a pint of ice cream and remember the good times.

See you Thursday!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Stepping outside a few days later I felt lighter than air. Jon and I hadn't officially called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but in my eyes it was a matter of time. So today I had picked out something nice to wear, also in the hopes that Aunt Betty would stop bugging me about my mess of clothes I've been wearing. Because obviously wearing long skirts and tank tops just doesn't cut it for my sensible aunt.

Today I was going to meet with Agent Coldwell with Jon. It seems Jon was becoming thick as thieves with the guy. I was glad that Jon had someone he could look up to. Maybe Jon would focus on going to school with a similar job in mind. He was very good at deducing what was happening. Me I felt like I was standing there like an idiot while the two brilliant minds knocked down ideas.

The government car arrived and I could see Jon in the back seat. Sliding in I placed my bookbag on my lap. "You okay?"

Jon did not look okay. His eyes were getting dark circles, and his face was pale. He just shook his head. "It's nothing, long night and I couldn't sleep."

I reached over and touched his hand. It was cold, but he wrapped his fingers over mind. Everything would be alright. That was one thing we had spoken about, in the end we were going to have each other. I was going to write him letters, old school, but it was one way his Grandmother wouldn't be able to deny him a relationship. And once school started he could go to the library and write me e-mails. I was going to send him pictures and maybe write him once to twice a week. Yes this was going to be tough, but I think we can handle it.

The FBI had gotten their base sat up in the police office. The small room was buzzing with activity, there were people on phones, others on computers that they brought in. When we walked in I froze, Jon rushed over to where Morgan was and the two of them started to converse. I on the other hand was petrified. All of these people were on the case, and Jon and I thought we could solve it alone? It made me sick just thinking about it.

Jon looked over at me and waved me over. Pushing my way through I got to a table that had sandwiches stacked high for the agents. Marcus was dishing out food for us and then he brought us over to a new table. Sitting down I noticed how far we were from everything. This could only mean one thing. We were being told things that Morgan wasn't supposed to be telling.

"So," He said picking up his turkey and swiss. "we got a few hits."

"The other girls?" Jon said sitting up straighter. He didn't touch the food. Me on the other hand picked my sandwiched and devoured it before anyone could witness it's existence.

"Yeah," he said taking a bite. "The total of bodies is in the thirties. The degree of time… it's looking like this guy has been doing this for almost ten years, but it's becoming more and more frequent. He's speeding up for some reason."

"Can't get his fix." Jon muttered. "That's the number one reason for killers like this, they have a fantasy and they seek to relive it over and over again. But it's not enough anymore. THe guy isn't happy with three girls a year."

Morgan nodded. "Exactly." He continued to eat looking over at the rest of the groups moving and working on their tasks. "We've located most of the girls. Their families have been told. We do have a commonality between them though."

I looked up my skin prickling.

"All the girls ages are in the 15-21 age. The man is looking for a younger woman. This might be connected to someone he lost or is wishing for in his life. Someone who left him when they were quite young."

Jon leaned back looking at the office. "Young, and he embalms them."

"Yes." Morgan said shifting in his seat. "His skills have grown. the first girl… she looks like she was hacked up before she was buried. There's a lot of scratches on the bones, or well that's what my people told me. But in the last five years our killer has gained skills to keep the girls around longer after he uses them."

"Why take another girl so soon though?" I asked, my voice shook as I said it. "He should know that people are onto him?"

Morgan nodded. "At this time a killer has two plans, they either stop and leave us in the dust, or they continue killing and continue to dodge us. But in both plans there are ways to catch them. Disappearing leaves a lot out in the open. We'll see a change in someone's behavior in town and there we'll be able to capture them before its too late. If they continue they can get sloppy and we'll find them."

"But the girl that was taken?" I started.

"We're doing everything we can to find her, don't worry about that." Morgan then let out a sigh. "I'm worried as well. This man knows the area better than we do. Wherever he's doing this, he knows how to keep his hobbies clear form everyone."

"There was that one strange thing." Jon muttered. "All the girls, they had necklaces with keys."

When did Jon find this out? I looked between them. "Keys? To what?"

Morgan shifted in his seat looking uncomfortable. "We think it's too handcuffs. But we can't be sure."

"They looked like it." Jon muttered. "They have to symbolize something to the killer. Something meaningful is in that key. But what?"

My mind wandered for a moment. Keys, they were a sign of entry? There was also a lot of trust that went into giving someone a key. But what the key was used for, I had a sneaking suspicion.

"The killer gives it as a sign of trust for the girls."

"But he kills them?" Jon said shaking his head. "Some trust."

"No, they don't trust him, but he trusts them. Or that's his fantasy. There's no way to know that the killer didn't give the keys to them until after death. But maybe he fantasizes about trust."

The two of them looked at me and then laughed. "well it's a good idea, and I'll put it down on the list." Morgan said. In translation he really said 'that was the stupidest thing I heard all week, lets toss it and keep thinking.'

I went back for another turkey and swiss and let the two masterminds work things out. So much for my career in law enforcement. Maybe I would be better as a homemaker or something boring…

* * *

We got home late. Betty told me that dinner was in the fridge and I ended up heating up some hot dogs and sitting on my roof. Night was coming in and a thick mist was forming on the ground. My little spot on the roof was still warm from the days sun. Scraping my feet on the roof I let out a long held sigh.

"Not a good day?" Came a voice I almost expected to be out here all night. Crow was just climbing up to the roof, his black formless shape drifted in and out of my sight thanks to the lack of light coming from my window.

"I just feel stupid that's all." I said turning away from him. I wasn't going back inside. If Crow got creepy I would, but for now he was being polite and staying outside of my personal bubble.

"Didn't go well with the agent?"

"You saw me leave?" I asked.

"I keep watch." He answered taking a seat farther away. "What did he say?"

I told him everything I had learned, the girls being around my age, that they had all been taken within the last ten years, and it was steadily getting worse. Also I told him that the killer wasn't stopping any time soon. When I was done I felt a huge burden off my chest. I couldn't just rant on and on around Jon. He was brilliant to be next to, but he didn't do well in social situations where people had no point to their rant. Crow nodded and i saw his head turn.

"Then it's far from over."

"Looks like it." I said laying down on the roof. "And the agents can't figure out why the guy would leave the girls a momento. I thought I had a good idea. But obviously the brains know more than me."

"You will be fine." Crow muttered. "You're strong, and you can take your ideas being put down. I don't think Jonny could do that."

"Jonny?"

"He wouldn't like that name?"

"No. He cringes every time my dad calls him Jon." I said laughing. "He wants his name to be in full, and honestly it sounds really good."

"You're dating him aren't you?"

Now when did Crow figure that one out. "Maybe? We haven't officially called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but I mean, it'll have to happen sooner or later."

"You kissed him?"

I was blushing big time now. "So what? Are you jealous or something?"

Crow was quiet after that statement, and for a moment I was frightened. Crow had been creepy, but sencer this whole time. Not once had he tried to pull anything one me. And never did he try to push himself into a situation where he was too close to me. But what if he had affections for me? No, na. I was the kind of girl who got geeky boys like Jon. And I don't think I would want to be a girl who would attract things like Crow.

"Crow." I asked changing subjects. "Where do you go when it rains?"

He didn't respond.

"I mena a few days ago with that major downpour. It was really bad. How did you stay dry?"

Again he was quiet.

I looked out at the scarecrow in the field and I wondered how Jon was doing. Did he have a similar roof he could sit on and look out? I had a feeling he didn't.

"You do like me," I finally ventured. "Or at least my company."

"Lets say you're the first person to speak to me. Jon wishes to ignore me, and it would be best if you didn't tell him you speak to me too, he would be confused. He needs someone to protect him, and I've been working on it… it's not easy."

"Why does he need protection?"

We stayed in science again and I thought to go inside and try to get some sleep. I was about to rise when Crow spoke.

"Next time you hear the goats… follow it. Stop what's happening and help him. He has too many scars for being so young." Crow stood up and turned from me. "Good night Lynn… Please, keep him safe for me too."

I watched Crow climb down the steps with a grace I didn't think the creature could have. I sat on the roof for a moment longer a chill running through me. Jon needed protection, but from what? His grandmother? How bad could she really be?

* * *

Author's Notes: Not much is going on here. I have a week till I'm at my convention. That weekend I'll be missing in action. On Sunday if I have time I'll try to post, but we'll see. If anyone is in North Carolina I'll be at Animazment for Thursday through Sunday.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

So the idea of protecting Jon was enticing. I mean in how many stories do girls protect their men? None that I know of. It's always the girls is useless without someone by her side and then this knight in shining radioactive armor (how else does it shine like that) comes charging in and saves her from her boring life.

I know I know, I could say Jon charged in… but in all actuality it was Heather that did it all. She was the one who made Jon tolerable the first time I hung out with him. And in that time I got to see past his anger and his superiority until I saw the geeky man underneath.

Walking down the dirt road that connected our two driveways, well it's more like Jon's family home off shooted from Betty's drive, let's be honest, I had one of my peasant skirts, and the lowest cut shirt I could find. With me and my ample bosom it was going to be impossible for Jon to say no. Then again Jon has been known to forget that there was a pretty girl next to him. It did take me telling him I liked him to kick off what we had.

From far away I could hear thunder. This was a strange occurrence here in Georgia. That rolling thunder can be heard all day long, but not a drop of rain will fall to the ground. Other times you'll hear nothing and minutes later the thunder is calling out and the rain is pouring hard to the dry ground. It's like something in a Stephen King novel, only more camo and trucks.

I saw the rundown mailbox that's stands guard for the rest of the Keeny household. It looked like it hadn't been opened in years. Spiders had made it their mission to place delicate lace over the box, beautiful, but frightening if you aren't fond of spiders. I was one of those who would rather keep a good distance from said eight legged creatures.

Peeking down the road I saw Jon's long form walking down the drive. He looked lost in thought and I could tell that today was going to be all about the killer. There had been days where we just sat under the scarecrow and spoke about life. Well he told me about his dreams to get out of this hell hole. I told him more about my city. And the more I told him the more determination was pulled up from him.

As he moved closer I saw behind him a figure that sent a small amount of terror through me. His Grandmother… The woman was in another slinky black dress with a black hat that someone should inform her that the Queen of England wants back ASAP. As she moved behind him I saw a pinched expression. Was she catching on about Jon and I? What could she possibly do to him? All I had to remember was what Crow said.

'Next time you hear the goats… follow it. Stop what's happening and help him. He has too many scars for being so young'

That made my mouth go dry. I tried to move my tongue around to get some workable movement as Jon gave me a grim nod. "Hey." He said, his voice quieter than normal. His eyes moved down to the rest of me but instead of that cheesy smile boys get seeing a girl who's trying to be sexy, he looked up at me in mild horror.

"Now Jonathan." Said the old monster behind him. "What are your plans with this she devil?"

"Dad wanted to take Johnathan bowling." I said looking past him to the monster in the big black hat.

She appraised me, much how a cowhand appraises a cow before sending them off to slaughter. It's a cold unfeeling look. This woman had something wrong with her. I didn't know enough about mental health, but I would bet my whole Nancy Drew collection that she was more than bible crazy. "Is that so?" She said, her southern drawl was so thick I might needed a steak knife to cut through it.

Jonathan stammered out the next sentence, his accent was coming back to him at an alarming rate. "I'll be home before dark. I know I have some chores to finish."

The way he said it didn't bring me any comfort. His Great Grandmother, the bitch, smiled a thin malice filled smile. "Very good you little monster. When you come home come right into the kitchen, I'll be waiting."

She didn't say goodbye or have fun. I wasn't expecting her to. She turned on her heel and marched herself back down the dirt driveway. Her black dress already catching flect of the red clay dirt. Good I hope she has to hand scrub that damn thing to get it reasonably clean.

Jon didn't look back as we made our way back to Betty's. His hands were being gripped then ungripped at his sides. I got it the boy was worried about something. Before we got in ear shot of the house I spoke up. "What's wrong?"

Jon looked over at me his face paler. Was I actually seeing him drain of all color in his face? I think I was. He moved some hair from his eyes with a bit of annoyance. "It's nothing. I've been thinking about the case."

Sure he was. I could hear his accent coming back to him, voice trembling as he spoke. He was 'thinking about the case' and because of that he was getting nervous and jittery. I wasn't buying it.

"Sure its not because of the wicked witch of the South?" I said.

Jon looked over at me his eyes guarded. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

I didn't believe him. Knowing Jonathan's secretive nature I knew it would be impossible to pull the truth from him. And we were getting closer to the car where Dad and Logan were standing beside. I wouldn't get to talk about what was bothering him for the rest of the time.

* * *

The wind had picked up that night. We got Jon back home before sundown, much to me pestering dad to make sure we got Jon hom. I was able to make him smile while we went bowling. Mainly it was at my total lack of sporting skill, though Jon was in the same boat as me. We were two gutter ballers while Dad and Logan had an actual close game. We didn't mind though, it got us both out of the house and Jon's mind off of his insane grandmother.

It was hard to let him go. much like girlfriend watched as their loved ones go off to war I watched John walk down his drive, back to that decrepit farm house that now crept in my mind and made me question. Something was going on over there. His great grandmother had something planned for him. He said he would finish his chores. Bull shit. Something was going to go down that night, and i was sitting on my roof waiting for a sign.

A gust of cool air raced through the fields and up to my hiding spot. Far away I knew if it was day time I would see that steeple of the family church Jon's family had. My mind was making up all kinds of horrors that old woman could be doing to him. Maybe she was forcing him to clean out that crows nest again. Or locking him up in some 'confession chamber' like in Carrie. Jon having to keep hunched over for hours while 'praying his sin away'. Fuck it made me feel sick just thinking about it. This was like some bad Stephen King, V.C Andrews ripp off. All you needed was a douce of insest and bam you're good to go.

I tried to get through more 'Phantom of the Opera', I was surprised about how fast of a read it was. The pace was nice and it kept the story moving, much like a modern work, almost. I could see why mom liked it. She was the one who always offered a helping hand to anyone in need. She used to say that monsters were only monsters when they forgot how to care for people. The Phantom wasn't a monster, he was a poor fool who fell for the wrong girl. But he did care in the end. That's what made him human.

In that turn of thought I started to compare Crow to the Phantom. It was more in little ways. Like them both being mysterious as fuck and at first glance creepy. but Crow had admitted that he is only looking out for Jonathan. He was a step above the Phantom, he already cares for Jon and wanted to keep him safe. And if that was so, then Crow was just as human as I was.

The first moment I heard the scream I jumped. That mournful soul shattering scream that soared over the fields and up to the roof where I was sitting. The wind was carrying it faster to me, a warning that things had gone wrong. That is was time I did what Crow asked me to do.

Sneaking outside wasn't difficult. Betty kept a 9 o'clock bedtime aided by sleeping pills. Logan didn't bother to question what I was doing sneaking around, and Dad was reading a book on the back porch. No one cared if I had snuck out of the house in the dead of night. As I passed by the kitchen on my way out I saw the large digital clock tick over to midnight. The witching hour as mom always joked.

Going outside I shivered. The whole of the summer wind had been forgotten and a chill like autumn coursed through the air. Only I knew autom wasn't for another three months. Which meant there was a storm blowing in. See in the north rain comes in the hottest. humidest, most wretched time. but after it's like someone put AC on the whole world. In the south, or Down South, depending on who you are and how you like to say stuff, the air gets shockingly cool and then the rain comes. The rain appears out of nowhere with no warning except for the clouds. And after the rain had come through that's when the heat and humidity come out and play. Its a cruel joke really. To give people hope of cool air and then take it away from them.

I walked through the tall grass that separated Jon's house from Betty's. I marched myself past the lone scarecrow, his straw filled body starting to move in the picking up wind. Yep, there was a monster of a storm coming in, and if I was unlucky I would be caught in the middle of it in nothing but a long shirt and tanktop.

The screaming and the sound of the wind mixed into a horrific sound. It sent the hair on every part of my body on end. Sure this was a sign that I should cut tail and run back home. I could hide under my blankets and tell myself I didn't hear the cries as they were casted into the air. The pleas of someone who needed help, my help. But if I did that then I would be a coward. Yes it took every bit of strength I had to keep moving forward. Yes I was about to piss my pants.

The Kenny farm looked more like an abandoned horror film set. Only the orange glow from inside the large farm house told me that the witch was still awake, or at least kept a light on in the dead of night. I sent a silent prayer as I made my way to the sound of the cries. They were human. I didn't doubt that. The lack of living life in this place was more than evidence to tell me that no animal was close enough to make that sound.

The cries were loudest near the chapel. The faded white symbol to the power and majesty of the great grand witches pride and joy. The bible. Like the woman had actually read the stupid thing. The windows were impossible to see inside and by the sound I knew this was the place. Running up to the small door I knocked banging on the old wood making it creek.

"Jon! Are you in there?" I shouted. The wind was starting to pick up and the sound of thunder was to be heard far away.

It was muffled, and not as strong as the screams but I heard it. "help.."

That word sent new energy in me. I circled the building first looking for a way in. The front door had a nasty looking padlock with thick chains keeping the door shut. My only other way in was through one of the windows. If the chapel was as worn down as the rest of this place then surely it would have an unlocked window or two.

Trying each window I was greeted with the sight of twisted poorly placed nails that keep the windows in place. The witch thought of everything it seems. I backed away from the building my heart slamming in my chest. How was I going to get in there?

Stumbling around I found my answer. There connected to the stupid chapel was a cellar door. It was the same kind of cellar door that Dorothy's family used to escape the tornado, only I wasn't escaping a tornado. I was about to walk into one. Blessedly the door was unlocked and it brought me down into a dark cellar that had zero light. I had been an idiot and didn't grab a flashlight on my way out of the house. Instead I waited till my eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light.

When my eyes finally made sense of the strange shapes around me I saw I was in a root cellar. There was a stockpile of food that could outlast a zombie invasion. Whatever Jon's Great Grandmother had in mind it definitely took a lot of food.

I found a ladder with a hatch above that. That was also unlocked. Climbing up I had to take a few deep breaths to keep my heart from coming out of my mouth. I didn't know what I was about to find up in the chapel. What sort of horror lay up there for me to see. Though there was no time to wait. The crying upstairs was now slow, mournful. I prayed that the worst was over.

I was wrong

Above the chapel was almost what I expected two to three rows of benches lay unused in probably decades, old leaves and cobwebs was the choice decoration. The warped wood of the floor had caught leaves and old papers, a draft keeping smaller pieces drifting around the room waiting to be caught in a crevec. The very end of the chapel was a sight I would never forget. Jon was curled into a small ball. His face covered by blood soaked hands. A black suit, maybe even the same suit he wore to Heather's funeral was ripped, and was still being ripped at by a murder of crows. The birds had clearly gone crazy. Birds like crows don't openly attack humans. We're the bigger scarier creature.

"Jon!" I said gasping. My feet had turned to cement under me. There was nothing I could do but watch.

Jonathan, thankfully moved, his voice carried out to the deserted rafters. "By the door, there's a floor board. Open it and roll the bottle over to me, don't get too close!"

Doing as he said I rushed over to the door falling to my knees I searched for the floorboard. Every beat of my heart I could hear Jonathan behind me cry out in pain. How much damage were those birds going to do? The flood board was easy to open and there tucked in with newspaper was an old apothecary bottle that some hipster in Gotham would love to show off. I rolled the bottled down the shot row of pews. Jonathan caught it with his hand and fought his way up.

"Cover your mouth with your shirt!" He was already doing the same. I followed his orders as he opened the bottle and dumped out what looked to be a soft white powder. The powder took to the air like dust wafting up and around the birds. The reaction was almost as horrifying as watching Jon get pecked at.

Birds scream. Everything screams now that I think about it. The crows let out a deafening scream that felt like it would kill them, or rip out the vocal cords before they were done. Jonathan moved out of the way as the birds started to drop to the ground like dead weights and once on the ground they convulsed twitching like they were a glitch in a video game. Soon the birds got up shaking themselves and flew off through a small hole in the roof.

Jonathan stood next to me looking as though he had lived through a slasher film. His blue eyes wide and his breathing heavy beside me. I reached out to touch his hands, they were sticky with blood… his blood probably. "Jonathan…" I muttered. In his hand he still held the bottle, but he was shaking, almost like he had a violent chill. "What was that?"

The bottle fell to the flood with a dull thunk. Jonathan slide down next, his whole body shaking. Moving next to him I placed an arm around him. He didn't move. His eyes were locked on the bottle that was now rolling around on the ground empty of it's contents. I didn't know if I should shake him, or if that would upset him at this delicate time.

I had been right about the whole V.C Andrews, Stephen King rip off. It was a miracle that Jonathan hadn't gone crazy already. The boy had to have a mind made out of steel or something. I would have been one foot in the nut house if I had to live through this torture every time I did something that… bitch, can't call her a grandmother, didn't like the idea that a kindly grandmother could do this to anyone. No, that woman was a bitch.

From beside me Jon stirred, a bit of thunder could be heard further out. "You shouldn't have come… You weren't supposed to see this." His voice was cracking from holding back some emotion, be it anger or sadness. I just held him closer.

"I had to find out what was happening. How often does she do this to you?" I didn't really want to know, but i had already asked my question.

"Every time I displease her with a 'sin'." He looked up, his eyes looked almost dead. "This time it was because I was caught looking at your shirt." A small wisp of a smile appeared. "It was a really nice shirt."

I smiled and rested my head to his shoulder. We stayed like that, from above us the sky chose to open up. Outside I could hear the downpour start. The sky had chosen in that moment to open up and let all the humidity out in the form of rain. The harsh sound of water hitting the ground was accompanied by thunder. The lightning that chased the thunder gave the chapel a flashing light. There would be no way to sneak back out in that storm. I didn't want to chance Betty seeing my wet tracks through the house and wonder where I had been.

"You need to get out of here." He said, his voice did not carry any harsh tones that would have gone as a warning. No… Jonathan didn't really want me to go.

"You're hurt. I'm not letting you out of my sight till morning." I said pulling him closer. Jonathan leaned in and held onto me his hands dug almost painfully into my skin. I waited for him to say something, to tell me what was happening. But he didn't speak. I didn't push either. Instead a few minutes later I pulled away and started to look at his hands and arms. The boy had many cuts. He would need some big bandages to keep all the cuts protected while they healed. I started to remember that last time he had been cut. What had he told me 'Cleaning out a crows nest'? That didn't look like he was cleaning out a nest.

In my mind I was piecing things together. His Great Grandmother saw him being 'sinful' and as punishment she what? Forced him into a chapel with hostile birds? But birds aren't hostile creatures. At least not without a push. Did she have a way to incite the birds to peck at her grandson? The thought rose my dinner from my stomach. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to throw up right there.

"What did you do to those birds?" I asked my voice now sounding like his, hushed and difficult to form real sound.

It took a while for him to answer, but when he did his voice had become steady, but still very quiet. "I've been experimenting… The powder… it's an exciter. Kicking up the adrenalin in the birds blood. In essence I was scaring them with that powder. It get them off whatever it on this suit. I'm not sure what it would do to a human yet… That's why I asked you to cover your mouth and nose."

"This is horrible Jon, you can't survive like this." I started.

His eyes were focused on the floor, all of him was frail and pale. He was nothing more than a ghost. "She can do a lot worse if she knew you came in and saved me. She'll go back to lashings."

He had to be joking. Lashings? As in whipping? Something that is used in medieval torture? There was no way he was telling the truth with that. And the boy saw the doubt in my eyes and stood up. I tried to stop him but it was too late. He tossed off his jacket and his shirt. My blush rose to my face as I saw his thin form. Most of his back was covered in thick scars. A patchwork of white lines that danced across his back making them look thicker, improperly healed wounds that would inflict so much pain on a young boy.

I let out a yelp and reached for him. "Oh god, Jon… She didn't do this, did she?"

My hand touched the rough skin of his back. He tensed up for a moment then slowly like a frightened bird he relaxed. "Lynn… no one can know about this."

"You don't have to put up with this. We can call the cops-"

"And they'll put me in some foster home for a year and spit me out." He said his voice gaining traction. He tugged his shirt back on grimacing. "I've done the math. I know if I can survive another year, one more fucking year I'm done. I'm out of here. That bitch won't come after me. The hillbillies of this town will get left in the dust. I'll be free."

"But she could kill you." I said my own voice shaking now. "You're bleeding all over your hands and arms. What if you were blinded by those things? You won't be able to leave if you're dead."

He looked at me a small 'v' was forming on his brow as he thought. "I've lived through this for sixteen years. what's one more? Actually less than one more. eleven months. I can make it."

I reached over and took his hands. Outside the thunder boomed and the lightning streaked the sky. "I can't leave you like this. Also it's raining cats and dogs out there."

Jon looked over at the dirty windows. "Grandmother won't come out in this weather. Most likely she'll stay nice and dry inside until morning…"

"We can use the benches for sleeping."

"They aren't that comfortable, trust me. But I do have stuff, after she started throwing me in here I learned to keep a stock of stuff ready. You know. For a rainy day."

The last part was supposed to be a pun. I could hear him try to play at humor, but it failed him. He walked me over to a back wall which had a loose bit of wood paneling. He opened it up and pulled out a small first aid kit, a flashlight, and blankets. I got to work on patching up some of the more harsher cuts. Jon watched me with an attentiveness that would be granted to a teacher. Many occasions he guided me through bandaging up his rougher looking wounds.

"Thank you." He muttered buttoning up his shirt. "You didn't have to come here."

No I didn't. Crow's advice lead me here, yes I had had my suspicions before hand, but it didn't compare to the truth. No Jonathan had a horror show all his own in this chapel. Even more if I got a better look at his back scars. No, I had to come here, had to be here to see the exact hell Jon lived through.

We made a small nest out of blankets in the corner of the chapel. Outside the storm of the summer was raging through. The power would go out for half the town around three am. Jonathan and I would keep to the nest, we probably slept the most sound out of the whole town that night.

Once morning came I would use the cellar exit to go back outside. Jonathan would promise to see me later that day so I could help him put better bandages on. Betty was the one to catch me walking in. I said I had gone out for a walk earlier that morning, Betty just shook her head, she had already labeled me a 'disappointment to her southern traditions' long ago.

I marched myself up to my room and thought about ways I could help Jon out. He had that powder stuff, but it seemed so dangerous. There had to be a better option out there.

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay long one here I know. This chapter took me a bit to write, but it was also one of the first scenes I had for this story in my head. I think it came out how I wanted it to. As for the the rest of life? Well Animazment if rushing forward so I'm trying to keep my regular posting days, but I might be hit or miss for the coming week.

Other than that there's nothing to report. I hope you guys enjoy, and keep reading.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hamlet has one store for hunting and fishing, the name 'Henderson Huntin and Fishin' Huntin instead of Hunting because the faded out line of the light of 'g' told me it had fallen off a while ago and no one had bothered with buying a new one. It was a sorry looking place with dark wood paneling and reflective windows. Dad had dropped us off into town, us being Logan and myself. I didn't want Jon here to see what I was doing. He would get angry and probably throw a huge fit. I didn't care though. I had to try something to help him. The horrors in that chapel were too much for any person.

Logan had his face glued to his phone his mouth had become a small sturdy red line. "I'm not seeing anything like what you're asking for." He muttered from behind the phone. "Who's ever heard of Crow repellent?"

We entered the store with a dull 'ding' of a alarm system. Inside was a temple for the redneck hunting, or was that huntin, gods. Large taxidermied animals loomed above glass cases that were filled with every gun mans dreams. Shotguns, rifles, some guns that I didn't think civilians needed to have. God bless the U.S.A? Maybe I was a touch more cynical because I saw what bad people could do with guns like these. Sure hunting, again was that hunting, was a wonderful sport and can keep populations of deer and rabbits from sweeping over farmland. But do people really need semi automatic guns to bring down a buck?

Before I could get much of a look around the store a worker walked up. He was an unremarkable normal looking man. Light brown hair, dark colored eyes, skin that looked sun dried. He stood maybe a few inches shorter than me. That had always been a bother growing up tall. It was hard for an adult to give a kid who's bigger than them much flack. That kid could just look down at the smaller individual and laugh and made said smaller individual feel like an idiot. But height aside the store worker looked happy and helpful enough, though the first outburst I had when I walked in did color me as a slight bitch.

"Well I don't know, that's why we're going to ask. Unless you in your infinite knowledge on the internet can research a bit better and narrow down a real answer instead of that bull shit one." I said loudly. Yes it wasn't polite. Yes I was acting like a bitch. Logan didn't know why I needed something to get rid of those damn crows. He didn't see Jon in the early light with the cuts and scars of many many years of abuse. I couldn't just stand there and let him continue on. Not without some form of protection when I'm no longer in Hamlet.

"Can I help you miss?" The worker asked. HIs voice was as thick as Betty's backside carrying all the hill sounds of a proper southerner.

I was still reeling from Logan's attempt to weasel out of this situation and rounded on the guy instead. "Yes." I said making my voice as clear as possible. "I'm in the market for looking for some Crow repellent."

The poor guy just looked at me in big eyed wonderment. "Pardon?"

"Crow repellent. Like bug repellant but for those fucking black birds." I had stopped thinking crows as interesting birds. Nope, after seeing what they did to Jon they were 'fucking black birds'.

The man took a step back. Okay I was being harsh. I saw the fear in his coiled up expression. "Look sorry. I'm just really fed up with those crows."

The man nodded a small unsure smile rising. "It's alright. I mean. When pests are pests right?"

I nodded cooling down. I stood up straight and looked at Logan. "My brother and I have been looking online for anything that could get rid of crows. We haven't found anything conclusive."

The man nodded he reached up and cradled his chin in his hand. Everything about him in that moment was small. He was pulling into himself. Cursing at myself for being too harsh I gave a small smile. "Everything alright?"

"Yes. Sadly I don't think I can help miss. There's no such thing as crow repellent. Maybe just put up a few scarecrows? Or have a dog outside that can scare them away?" he said in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't help."

I rose my hand to stop him from stammering. "It's okay. I was hoping for the best. I'll find another way to get rid of those-"

"Fucking black bird." Logan chuckled behind me.

"Shut up." I growled. To my surprise he did. He didn't look happy about it, but he closed his mouth and turned back to his phone. That in of itself was a miracle.

The man behind the counter smiled. "Always good to keep siblings in line. You are siblings?"

Logan looked up from his phone and over to me. Yeah I got it, the guy was trying to chat us up. I did barge in and demand answers without thinking about the man's help. Staying and listening for a moment wasn't going to kill me.

"Twins." I said speaking up. Logan being ever the social one when it came to adults looked back at his phone letting out a great huffing sound. "Actually."

The man smiled leaning on the counter. "Ain't that just the sweetest thing. You two must do everything together."

"We do a lot together." I said smiling. "Look we need to head out. Our dad's waiting for us." That was a lie, dad wasn't waiting for us, but my moment of being nice was over. I had come to understand the south has a lot of things people do to be polite. Politeness for the people in the south, or the people like Aunt Betty at least, was politeness was used as a discretionary tool to thrust a knife in your back. But that might have to deal with me being bitter.

OUtside the heat was sweltering, the whole town was getting out their red, white, and blue. The fourth of July was only a few days away and remembering that date sent a chill through me. Heather had been gone for a month now. A little over a month Logan and I had been stuck in this nowhere town. But it also meant that Jon and I had known each other for over a month as well. We had been dating for a few weeks. Dating being held loosely in this case. We didn't go out on dates. We didn't kiss, other than that time at Walmart. I has spent one night sleeping next to him, but it was hardly romantic. It was survival.

I knew the phone was for me before Betty shouted out to me from down stairs. Sometimes you just know who's on the other side of the phone. Me I knew It was Kate, just a gut instinct that it would be her. I hadn't heard from Kate since I Jon and I had well become more than friends.

I took the phone and opened the window and clipped outside on the roof. I was in my pajama pants and a t-shirt I had no plans on leaving the house on a day like this. It was a sunday and I knew Jon wouldn't be allowed away from that witch of his grandmother. Leaning back on the roof I put the mute button off. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Kate said, her voice seemed so far away, I could just imagined her sitting in her living room the dim light of Gotham filtering in through the clouds and skyscrapers. "How's the south?"

How was the south indeed. "Oh girly… I have so much…" I ended up telling her everything. Someone up north needed to know what was happening. The killings, the boy I cared about, and the bat shit crazy witch next door. Kate had always been there for me, and as she listened I could tell that despite the distance she was there for me.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed so loudly that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. "No, your dad can't let you stay there. It's crazy talk! Let me get mom on the phone."

"No, it's fine. Jonathan and I are safe."

"Yeah this Jonathan you keep talking about. Lynn honestly, as the girl who's been your BFF since Kindergarden, honestly tell me he's not a fling. Someone you can flirt with while you miss out on David Sterling, who by the way is dating Jenna. Remember, the whore who's been sleeping around with every guy on the lacrosse team? I knew it would only be a matter of time until she got her gnarled fingers into your man."

"David isn't my man." I said trying to make my voice as clear as possible. "With Jonathan I can be me. Sure I feel stupid next to him sometimes, but he listens, and he's motivated. When has a guy in our school ever been motivated beyond what girl's pants they're going to get into next. Jonathan is already waiting to hear from GCU. How many sixteen years olds do you know do that?"

The other side of the phone was quiet. Had I pissed Kate off. I mean it does happen. We've had our fights. "You really like the guy don't you?"

I looked out over the fields of corn, the wind making the stalks dance. The scarecrow further down was caught in the old dance making me smile. Who knew scarecrows could dance so elegantly. It made me wonder if Jonathan knew how to dance. He probably didn't, or if he did he would know the old world kind of dances where men lead and women wore beautiful dresses. It's not the shaking buts up in a guys crotch. It was divine, it had a soul.

Jonathan was more than a summer fling. I could feel that in every moment I spent with him. It wasn't the brief moments of touch. It wasn't me saving him from those crows that night. Hell it wasn't even the serial killer that brought us together. It was deeper than anything I had felt for another person. No it wasn't love at first sight, I really did think he was creepy, then I saw how pretentious he could be. But going through the grieving process with Jon had been what did it for me. Whatever he saw in me… well that's something only he would know.

All I knew was I wouldn't be able to spend the rest of my years with out jonathan Crane. Be it we exchanged letters. Or I end up convincing dad to let Jon live with us while he goes to school. THe boy was smart enough to get into Gotham Central University. He would need someone to go after high school. And Dad would be more than happy to have Jon over. Though the two of them aren't buddy buddy they were civil and dad was a lot like me, a sucker for a sob story.

Taking the last moments of my ponderings I watched the scarecrow still as the breeze died down. The night at the chapel had sealed my fate when it came to Jonathan Crane. I would do anything to protect him. "I really do."

Kate let out a low whistle. "Fuck." she then paused. "Sorry mom!" she shouted further in the house. I smiled remembering Mrs. Miller's lax punishments when it came to cursing. Kids were going to hear it and speak it sooner or later. "But damn, Lynn… you really have it bad for him don't you?"

"I already said I liked him."

"no no, there's a difference. You can like a guy and not have it bad for them. There's a difference woman." She said her voice getting sharp on me. "You are going to bring him up here right? I get to meet this Mr. Deep South."

"He doesn't act southern. His accent is more northern. He will need new clothes, propper clothing. And hot dogs, honest to goodness hot dogs from Mally's cart." I said my voice getting lost in laughter. "I think you'll like him. He's got this kicked puppy look that will melt your heart, I promise."

Kate shifted around and from further off I could hear her mother talking. "You better. Look I need to head out. Mom wants me to help her with the fourth of July celebration for the neighborhood. You know how mom gets."

I wished Kate goodbye and more so good luck. Turning the phone off I climbed back inside. The next day was the fourth of July. Dad had already negotiated with the bitch next door… I can't think of her as a grandmother, to grandmother would do that to any member of their family. Opening up the closet I looked at the small amount of clothing I had brought with me and sighed in distress. I had not packed to first. I had packed to mourn. But I picked up the sundress I had worn to Heather's funeral. It was going to have to do

Fourth of July in the south require a few things. First was beer. Dad had picked up large packs of the run of the mill Budweiser and Miller beers. This was an about face from the craft brews he got back home. Seems his old school friends were too down home to cash out a bit more money for helping out new brewers. We had snack made and a cooler filled with soda. Betty was covering the decorations, meaning all her plastic tableware matched with the cheap plastic table cloth she got from walmart.

We were packing the last of the food stuff in the car when Jonathan emerged from the tall grass. There was now a solid path that connected out two houses that was caused by out constant roaming to the scarecrow. Jon waved a me a smile blooming on his face. At least we could keep him away for most of the night.

Dad got word that there was going to be a huge fireworks display in Hamlet. Now when my dad said huge I think he meant large enough that the fireworks actually go in the air and explode instead of just pop on the ground. Logan was set on going the moment dad said explosion. I was set when Dad said I could do what i wanted once we arrived in town.

We arrived at the park across from the town hall. It was a large wide space that Jon told me was once the area where the old elementary school was. All the local towns had become integrated into one large school because of the small number of students in the town. Jon could barely remember what the school was like, what he could recall was something straight out of the fifties complete with mint green vinyl flooring.

The park now was a large green space that families were claiming little parts with large quilts or sheets for people to lay on. Here was were everyone who is utterly prepared, like Aunt Betty, brought out the large fold up tables, chairs, radios so they could listen to that same damn country music station that the teens at parties listened to. Betty one upped everyone with her matching table scape and mix of snack for us to eat. The woman had been slaving away the last two days getting all the homemade goodness ready.

Jonathan and I picked up a plate of food once everything was done. I loaded my place with mini pigs in a blanket, cookies, a hearty slice of bread and two carrot sticks…. with a large side of ranch dressing. Jonathan on the other hand barely touched the food. He stuck to fruit, apples, grapes, slightly sweet things that I wondered if he got much to eat at his house. Of course he didn't. But I was too shy to ask fully.

True to Dad's word Jon and I were left alone to do whatever we wanted. What we wanted was to be far enough away from the rest of the participants so we could talk. We found a small area away from most of the families that had children, and away from the group of teens who were making their rounds. I could see Logan was making a beeline in that direction. Good he can be our sacrificial offering to the rednecks.

Jon took a seat on a good bit of grass me sitting next to him. "You know I've only gone to the fireworks three times. Heather's parents brought me along for the last few years." he said smiling. The pain was gone now, that was good.

"In Gotham the city launches the fireworks over the river. It's a pretty big deal. Kate and I would go to the river side… the nice part of the river side and throw rocks into the river while the fireworks went off above us."

"One large fireworks display, I bet the city could afford it." Jonathan said smiling.

"Actually the Waynes are the ones who set the fireworks off. We thought after the deaths of Thomas and Martha… sorry. A lot of the kids in Gotham called them by their first name. They were really good people. They were the kind of wealthy people that gave more to help the city than to raise their own money. If there were more people like them I think Gotham would be a better place."

"It's better than here."

"It has more opportunities than here." I corrected.

"How did the Waynes die?"

Oh that was the question of the decade. Since they were gunned down the GCPD had been on the case to looking for the killer. They thought they had it at one point, but like with anything no one could be sure and the guy was let go. "Gunned down." I said with a bit of shortness.

Jon nodded. "Well when I get there I'll do my best to stay away from all of that. Guns and murder." He shook his head. Taking a large breath he turned and looked at me. "After this summer I'll be glad to never deal with death ever again."

I nudged him with my arm. "Hey, cut the serious crap. Right now we're fine. Nothing bad is happening right now. It's just you and me here waiting for the fireworks to start."

He nodded. "Sorry,I'm just… I really can't wait for all of this to be over. Morgan will catch the killer, Heather will be avenged. I'll get to go to Gotham for school."

I laughed at how he used Agent Coldwell first name. The two of them were really hitting it off. "What were you planning on going to school for?"

Jon gave me a small chuckle, like it was a inside joke I wasn't privy to. "I want to go for Psychology. The mind… even the most twisted can be fascinating. This summer has proved that. Who knows I might try to become a profiler like Marcus. What do you think?"

He could do it. That boy was already helping the investigation and it was impossible to ignore the passion he had for finding Heather's killer. Though that might have been his raw need for vengeance. Motivation though, it was the key to mastering anything. He could do it. I believed in him.

"Definitely." I said giving him another playful nudge, this time he nudged me back with his bony elbow.

"What about you? What do you want to go to school for?"

There was the problem. Before Mom died I thought about being a doctor. Someone who helped people. But being in the room as the paramedics tried hopelessly to revive her I knew I would never cut it in the medical field. It would kill me to watch someone under my care die, even if it wasn't my fault, and even if there was nothing I could do. The idea of someone under my protection losing their life… it would kill me.

"I don't know." I said looking out at the families having their roasted corn on the cob, and brats. Kate had dreams of opening up her own store, whatever store that would be. David… well everyone in school knew that David would probably go into business so he can travel around the world doing whatever guys like him like to do. Me… I had to look at the facts of who and what I was. Much of which I had no clue about.

Jon nodded. "I always thought it was rude of the education system to force us to choose our chosen occupation in our teens then say in our twenties where we'll have better reasoning skills."

I shook my head. I'll give the guy this, he tries. He really tries to make me smile. Make me feel like I wasn't a total loser around him. "Thanks. I'll think of something."

"What did your mom do?"

That got me smiling. "You would have loved her. She was a Psychologist. Her specialty was working with the most difficult minds. She always told me that those who were suffering from a mental illness should not be looked at as weird, but that we should work with them and see how we can adjust to them."

Jon's face was like stone. I couldn't read it well in the dimming light. He shifted away looking down at his plate. "She sounds amazing."

"Told you you would have loved her." I said. My heart hurt thinking about her. It's true. Mom would have seen Jon and had drug that grandmother of his out in the open and reamed her with abuse charges. I bet Mom would have taken Jon away from this town and moved him with us to Gotham where he could finish in my school. Maybe even take him to her work like she had done with me so many times.

God I missed her. It hit me hard that once we got back to Gotham she wouldn't be there. She wasn't on some long vacation. No, she was one the longest trip she would ever be on… one that I might never see her from. She was gone and anything I did now wouldn't matter. Every time I had messed around and let her down didn't matter. She was gone.

I thought it was bullshit… crying I mean. I had seen Logan tear up and ball his eyes out begging and pleading. But I just stood firm locking down, keeping my feelings to myself. How can you hold this kind of pain for so long? It eats away at you, knawing like a dog on a bone. And when that bone snaps it all comes out.

"I think I failed her." I said quietly. My voice was shaking, there was no way to win a way against the tears that were coming out. "I told her I would take care of everyone. It's what I do… but." I looked up as the lights were being turned out one by one. "I fucked up."

Jon blinked and tilted his head. "You fucked up?"

"I had a fight with Dad. I didn't want to leave Gotham to come down here. I had an all out screaming match… We both said some harsh things. I said he was running from her death, he told me I didn't feel it. That I didn't cry during her funeral. he doesn't get it. I was trying to be the strong one for them. Logan was a mess. Dad even worse. I didn't get a chance to grieve. I should be with Kate eating carton after carton of ice cream. But I'm here… I have to find a different way to say goodbye."

To his credit Jon did the one thing I actually needed. He reached over and pulled me into a strong hug. It was secure and tight, enclosing me in someone elses protections for once. And what he said… I had been waiting for someone to say that for weeks now. Three words that I have told to Logan, to Dad, I even said them to Jon.

"Let it out." He muttered. "Just, let it out."

My eyes became fogged as a miniature niagara falls fell down my face and into Jon's shirt. I didn't stop myself. I didn't push it back in, even when my mind was crying out for me to stop looking like a idiot. Jon didn't let me pull away, didn't ask me to stop. Finally I was able to break, even if it was for a moment.

The sun was fully set and slowly my crying stopped. No one warns you about the ache that is left behind after someone is gone. Sure I had grandparents die when I was younger, but a parent? Logan was right, who our age actually loses a parent? Well the Wayne's only son, but he's a billionaire, he doesn't count considering I didn't know him.

Taking my time I pulled away. Jon handed me some american flag napkins that I blew my nose into. I muttered out a thanks a few more tears slipping out. I leaned closer shaking a little. THe lingering thoughts ebbed away, this wasn't going to be the end, but it was the last time I cried. The first cry opens the up a lot of the deep wounds. This by no reasoning was going to be the cleansing cry I needed. Yet getting out the first cry was refreshing.

"Thank you." I said again.

Pulling further away Jon and I became quiet. All around the park I watched as people set up their seats for the fireworks. Music was being cut, bit by bit so the public speakers could be heard. Reaching over I took John's hand. He gave a small squeeze back. "I mean it though. Mom would have loved you."

That got the guy smiling. "I think I would have liked her too."

"I'm going to ask dad… about next summer. Maybe you can cut out after graduation and come up to Gotham. Maybe dad would put you up until college started?" I asked my voice growing weak.

"I'd like that." He nodded, that's when I saw it. Hope. Living in this town did a number on guys like Jon, but now he has hope. Hope that things would turn out alright. That after this year he would be somewhere safe, and all this business with Heather's killer and Jon's demonic grandmother would be a small nightmare that both of us could forget.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. PLEASE RISE FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM." Boomed a mans voice over the speakers. Jon helped me up, we didn't sing, instead he just stood there leaning into each other. When the first firework bursted in the air Jon and I didn't see it. Instead we pulled each other into an embrace that lasted most of the show. This wasn't over, this summer, but I knew if I could stand next to Jon we would survive.

* * *

Author's Notes: So yeah, Cranes backstory is pretty harsh. From what I've read he didn't have any support in his family (this is in all the backstories I could find for him). I'm pretty happy about how this scene came out. As someone who lost a parent and didn't work through my grief until much later, I can attest that it poisons you. Lynn's a lot like me in bottling her feelings up for the greater good. In the end it's going to mess with her royally.

So as I've warned I'm going to be missing in action for the rest of this week. I have a convention I'm heading to on thursday so I won't be posting anything until Monday at the earliest. I am sorry that this was late. Work was crazy and the house is rushing around trying to prepare for the convention. I hope everyone is having a good week!


	14. Chapter 14

Warning: Use of adult language.

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Chapter 14

A week after the fourth of July I was sitting in the front yard with an umbrella in one hand and Logan's phone in another. Logan had convinced me to make a stupid movie about an 'experiment' he was going to run. The experiment was nothing more than dumping a huge thing of Mentos into Diet Pepsi. My brother was locked onto the idea that it would get him internet famous. I think it was going to waste ten two letters of sugary soda.

"And how is this different from every other soda mentos video on youtube?" I asked. The umbrella was to keep any of that stuff of my clothes and hair, or that was my hope. Logan was more than pleased with the death trap of a 'set' he made. He had convinced dad to build him a maze of tubing that connected all ten of the bottles together. He then had holes drilled into the tubes so the spray of the soda would make a fountain of sorts. Leave it to my brother to make something like this though. The guy should go into engineering or architecture.

"Simple. Many of those videos are of people shooting off a few of those things. Mine is an art."

"So like the guys who used the bottles to make a music video?" I asked.

Logan looked over at me scowling. "Why are you trying to ruin my fun? In Gotham I wouldn't get to do this. Our yards too small. I'm going to save the video when everyone's forgotten about the pepsi mentos thing. It's going to be a hit. I'll put it with a link to some of my MineCraft stuff and bam! Internet celebrity overnight."

I got the camera ready and when Logan told me to start I held steady watching his contraption fueled by sugar and carbonation take to life. Okay, so it was a pretty cool idea, dated, but a cool idea. He dropped the mentos in tubes that he quickly sealed and let the spray find it's way through the rest of the piping. I held back a cry as the fizzy soda rained down. Now I was thankful for the umbrella.

Logan wasn't so safe. He was soaked in seconds after his creation took to life. The dark cola stained the white shirt he was wearing. Betty was going to throw a huge hissy fit when she saw that. I just thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't the one who caused it. I didn't want that woman looking in on my cleaning habits. Already vacuuming the house twice a week was getting to me.

The jets of cold sprayed off in the air and I caught as many angles as I could of it before the show died down and was over. Logan was grinning walking up to the camera. "Want more exciting action? Go check out my other videos on how to do something similar in MineCraft. Until later Craft on!"

I clicked the stop recording button. "Nice!" I said. "You'll get some hits with that once you can load it."

Logan nodded. He opened his mouth to say something when Dad walked out of the house. Since coming down south Dad spent much of his time with his friends. I wasn't going to say he was shirking his responsibilities, but he was shirking his children. Letting us run wild out in the middle of nowhere while he got to go drink really bad beer, the kind of beer that would have pissed mom off, and talk to his friends most of them were fat rednecks who had never heard of dry clean delivery, or pad thai.

Dad waved and marched over to us. He had gotten tanner since we got here. I bet half the time he was sitting on someones attached porch for their trailer home getting all the sun in. "Hey kids, how's the experiment go?"

I shrugged and Logan rattled off how awesome it was and how he wanted to do more like it before we left. That seemed to make Dad happy. Me I just stayed out of the conversation, it was better that way. Better for me not to lose my temper at him.

"Cool cool." Dad said looking at the piping that was still dripping with soda. "Look, I got invited to go on a fishing trip."

"Like for a day?" I asked my voice barely holding back my annoyance.

"More like a week and a half. My old buddy from high school is in town for that time and we were going to catch some big fish. I'll be sure to bring back some catfish for you guys to try out. There's nothing like a good catfish, especially one you caught yourself."

"Then you'll be taking us?" I asked feeling more hopeful. Maybe this was going to be the moment Dad stopped ignoring us and started to mend the hole that was left after mom died. We could go out fishing as a family, do some 'bonding'.

"No can do. It's a guys night out." Dad said shattering my hopes.

"So I'll be going with you?" Logan said also looking hopeful. The poor guy really needed connection at a time like this. Sure the two of us were able to talk, but Dad was tight lipped about everything. We needed him to open up. We were asking for it.

"Ummm," Dad's smiled died. "I don't think so bud. Umm.. It's going to be me and my friends. Not really a place for ya."

That had to sting for Logan. Dad and him were normally so connected, and I had guessed that they were getting along fine when we were here. I mean they were going bowling together, on the Fourth of July the two of them just joked around. Yet there was something missing. I could see it in Logan's eyes as he pulled away.

"Well, have fun." Logan said.

I watched as my brother chewed on the inside of his cheek, a nasty habit that both of us shared. My own teeth were itching to sink into my cheek but I pulled back and locked on a new course of action. I turned and straightened up to my full height. "Really?" I said.

Dad blinked seeing me almost for the first time. "Lynn. I don't get a chance to see these people."

"That's because you moved away!" I said. "You chose to get out of this place. I thought you hated it here. Nothing but cotton fields and welfare checks. That's what you always said around Mom."

"Lynn," He said his voice getting louder. "I still miss it."

"Bull shit. You're just running. You've been running from Mom's memory since the funeral, no scratch that since we had to arrange her funeral. You just sat at the table and Logan and I had to think about all the little things Mom liked. You didn't even care to speak up! And then after the funeral you packed us up, pulling us out of school early too, and dragged us to Bum Fuck Hamlet because you couldn't handle remembering Mom!"

"Don't speak to me like that Little Lady." He boomed his voice matching my own. "I'm your Father."

"Start acting like one. Stop being so damn happy all the fucking time. Cry! Tell me that you miss Mom. Since we left Gotham you haven't spoken about her once, not once! Logan and I are confused. We're grieving. But you're off pretending to be king of the hill while you're kids can't even talk to their friends. How fucked up is that?" I said my voice cracking and the tears were coming down. Logan was shaking his head next to me his eyes also getting watery, though he would never admit it.

"This is how I'm grieving Lynn. I don't need to cry like you do. I just need time alone." He said. His teeth were clenched, and eyes dark. My Father wasn't going to see reason. He was going to win this battle and maybe even the war because I didn't want to ruin the relationship with the last parent I had.

When I did next wasn't graceful, and it wasn't even mature. I flicked him off and marched myself up to the house throwing the umbrella to the ground and tossing Logan his phone which he caught through sticky fingers. My message was clear. He wanted to be alone then he could have it. I wasn't going to speak to him until either he came back and wanted to work on having a relationship with his kids. Or I was dead. Marching up the stairs making as much noise as possible I didn't care which outcome I got.

* * *

The sun was going down that night. I had skipped dinner, Logan being my knight in shining armor of a brother came up stairs and brought me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. he didn't speak when he walked in. His feet carefully avoiding the creaky boards in my room. Placing the plate on the ruffled bed covers he paused and looked down at me. "Sis?"

I was under said ruffled bed covers. In my anger I made myself a cocoon of pink and ivory bedding. When I emerged I didn't think I would be a beautiful butterfly. Maybe just a less pissed off daughter.

"Hey sis… I was thinking. The week dad's gone," He paused to see if I would erupt to that alone. I didn't so he pressed on. "there's a party. That guy Bo Grigs is hosting it out at that field. Maybe we can piss dad off and get drunk or something. That would show him for letting us get forgotten right?"

I pulled my head out and winced up at my brother. "You know that's how all bad habits are formed." I said my voice feeling scratchy and dry. "Did you bring me anything to drink?"

Logan smiled and handed me a bottle of water. "But going to a party would get your mind off dad. Right?"

"Last time I went to a party Logan was right before Heather disappeared. Why the hell would I go to one?"

"Because you're brother is going to be there to watch your back." He said smiling.

"Betty told you that you couldn't go unless I went with you, right?"

Caught him. Logan groaned. "Yeah, but come on Lynn. When we get back to Gotham we're going to have to get back into the swing of things. You do want to date David right? Or are you really sold on Jonathan?"

Sliding more from the covers I picked up the sandwich and started to eat. "Yeah, I am. I mean we'll see how it goes once school starts. Distance is going to be what ends us if anything does."

"Distance and no phone signal." Logan said. My brother, the man with a thorn in his side also known as the lack of Facebook for almost two months. "But if it works who am I to make fun of you. I can't even get the girls down here to smile at me. Let alone flirt."

"But all those Gotham girls should be missing you." I said now fully out of my cocoon. "And they'll have better hair. And nose jobs."

Logan nodded his eyes looking wistful. "I wonder if Nicole Spellman is going to get one. If she didn't have such a hawk nose I would date her."

"You're an ass." I said kicking him. "It would be better if you never procreated."

"Ahah sister, we come from similar DNA right?"

"We're not identical." I growled. "I'm a perfectly normal human being."

"Totally normal. You jump into a dangerous situation with the creepy guy next door who you may or may not be sleeping with. Don't think I didn't hear you creep back into the house a few weeks ago. I heard you just fine."

"I didn't sleep with Jonathan… I slept next to him, yes, but he needed someone." I said pushing him off of the bed. Logan landed with a small tumble and laughed.

"Well at least I'm not the only one not getting any while I'm here." He laughed.

"Moron, remember, you're still a virgin too."

His smile was carefree as she shrugged. "Yeah but those girls down here don't need to know that."

"And you wonder why none of them are flirting with you." Choosing to stop a fight I polished off the PB&amp;J instead. "I'll go with you to the stupid party."

"Yes!"

"But!" I added. "When I say we're done, we're done. Okay?"

Logan jumped back on my bed and hugged me in a right out bear hug. "Sis, you're not going to forget this. I'll be at your beck and call."

"We siblings need to stick together." I said wondering what the hell I had agreed to.

Logan stayed for a while longer, but soon bed called him. I on the other hand was wide awake. There's something about cursing out someone that made me wide awake. I spent the next hour reading 'Phantom of the Opera' I was near the end, the Phantom was planning on setting off a bomb under the opera house. It was pretty damn exciting, but the sound outside, those fucking black birds were singing.

Opening my curtains I looked out into the inky darkness my eyes not catching the scant light that the moon was offering. Tossing the window open I climbed out onto the roof to be greeted by a figure I no longer feared.

Crow was standing there, the robe, cloak thing flapped around in the breeze as I nestled myself down. "Hey," I said. I almost laughed at how normal I sounded around him. To think almost a few months ago I had been weirded out by the black figure staying outside my window. Now I looked at him as yes a creature, but one that was looking out for Jon and myself.

Crow didn't move as I got comfortable. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"You found out."

"About Jon's insane Grandmother? Yup." I said with a small huff. "Look Crow… I'm not really in the mood to rant about that bitch. I just got into a fight with my dad. He's leaving Logan and I for a week while he goes fishing… I just couldn't hold it any more. And right now I just want to stew on how pissed I am at him so once he knows he's fucked up I can jump down his throat… that's vindictive isn't it?" I asked more to myself than at Crow. "Yeah it is… Crap I'm turning into one of those people who holds things over their parents heads."

Crow didn't speak but took a step forward and sat near me. The wind blew catching the, were they feathers connected to his cloak? It was fitting for him to have feathers. What with his name and everything. "Crow." I asked my voice faltering. "Why do you hide your face?"

I wasn't looking at him now. Instead my eyes focused on the stars that were twinkling above me. Crow's voice was softer, the sweet lulling of his Georgia accent was heavier than ever before. Was he nervous about something?

"You need to stop seeing Johnny."

That wasn't an answer to my question. Actually his remark felt like it came out of left field. Stammering I spoke. "Pardon?"

Now looking at Crow I saw just how rigid he looked. The normally graceful creature was all edges in the night air. I wanted to reach out and ask him if he wanted to talk about what was going on. Maybe he didn't know exactly what was happening with Jon and was scard for him. Up until now Crow had been nothing but supportive of Jonathan and I.

"You need to not be with him anymore. He's been tortured twice as much as he used to be. It's because he's looking at you. His grandmother can see it. See how much he depends on you. If you keep seeing him he won't live till the end of summer let alone till next year." Crow then stood up, is large black form loomed above me, and for the first time since I had met him I was afraid. "Stop seeing him."

"We're figuring out Heather's death." I said Keeping my voice low.

"Do you really think they need your help? Jonny's got it covered, you're just there to look pretty. You've admitted it that you feel like you were just along for the ride. Well you are."

I got up and backed into my window and sat looking out at Crow through my window. The worst part was Crow was right. I still didn't know why I was around Jon except I was the only thing keeping him stable after Heather died. "I'm here to keep him sane."

In all my life I will never hear another sound like it. Crow's laugh. Laughter by default should be a joyous thing that bubbles up and out of you filling the air with light. Crow's laugh… it was malice, anger, the stuff that fear is made of. His laugh sent my hands to the top of the window so I could slam it closed, but I paused his voice now dripping with the same tone. "He's already gone, you just don't get it."

My heart was racing at that. What did Crow mean Jon was already gone? He couldn't be 'gone', 'gone' being a term my mother used for patients she didn't think she could help. There were the few, those who didn't care about humanity any longer, the ones who were no longer human themselves were nothing like Jon. Jon cared, he was sweet. He was functional. Where did Crow get off for saying he wasn't?

"You're wrong." i said, my teeth were locked. "He's going to be fine. I'll be there for him."

"Until you go back to Gotham." Crow said, his voice carried that hateful sneering tone. "You tired to protect him, but not even you can stop what's coming. He'll break. He'll break and you won't be there. I can swear to you that."

"I'll fight for him first."

"What do you even know about him? Sure you know what he likes, and you know about the punishments he's gone through. But you don't know the truth."

"I'll ask him. He'll tell me." I said, I was desperate. I wasn't hiding how desperate I sounded from Crow. He could see it and hear it on me. Any chance of getting an upper hand on him was lost right then. "He's going to be fine."

Crow moved closer to the window. I feared for a moment he would come in. Maybe he had lied about being courteous. He wasn't acting courteous, and it didn't take a mastermind to figure out that he could come into my room and do god knows what to me.

But.

Moving only a fraction away Crow let out a deep rumble of a laugh. "You go on thinking that Little Lynn. But being near him will make him snap. And when he does, it's all on you."

My anger seethed up into me. "Fuck you." I growled.

"Lovely language Little Lynn." He cooed back. "I won't come back. I gave you my warning. Take it or leave it."

"Shove it up your ass."

There wasn't a last word. Crow was too good for that. He knew I was the angry jealous one. He knew I was the one who would keep coming at him until I was blue in the face. No, Crow this time was the 'mature' one and just walked away. Years later I would look back at that night, the warning, I would know that Crow had been right all along. Jon was already 'gone', there was nothing I could do to save him.

* * *

Author's Notes: I Live! I'm back from Animazement and hot damn it was a blast! I got to go to some panels and I paid for a commission from Cut Sleeve Studios for my next fanfic's cover picture. I might post it on my profile once they have it done. And now that the convention is over I can get back to my normal writing routine. I believe this story has about five more chapters until the end.

So everything should be going back to 'normal' from here on out. Which means I'll be seeing you guys on Thursday!


	15. Chapter 15

Warning: Slightly descriptive romance

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Chapter 15

With the slam of the tailgate I watched Dad finish his last minute prep before he went on his fishing trip. The fucking excuse of a fishing trip, I reminded myself. I'd been bitter for the past week. It was mostly Dad's lack of parenting that was pissing me off, but the biggest most festering part was Crow. What he had told me the last time I saw him just made me want to hit something, or better yet someone. I didn't let my anger out though. Nope, I bottled it, like I used to bottle my greef. There was plenty of room since i started to work out how i was really feeling about mom's death. The main thing that kept me moving was anger. Anger was going to be the cleansing fire that got me back to being a normal teen.

I watched Logan outside, he was like a lost puppy trying to get Dad to reason with him. If Dad took Logan along I would call it progress. Something other than making us obey him at every turn. Working with us to make a form of agreement, not sticking to his plan like someone chose super glue to be their way to live life.

Ignoring my Dad had been easy enough. He had already been aloof since we got here, but adding on me ignoring him I could feel a large rift growing between us. Sure I had always been Mom's daughter. I would go and do stuff with my Mom, Dad always did stuff with Logan, it's just how it worked out. But since we got to Hamlet Dad had been ignoring both of us. Only doing stuff if it suited him, not because his kids asked for it.

When the large cloud of dust from the trucks back tires had dissipated I opened the screen door as Logan made his way back up. He looked up at me giving me a small resigned shrug. "He's being stubborn."

Logan was being nice. He had the luxury of being nice. Dad was his go to parent. I on the other hand. "He's really fuckng himself over."

"When we get back to Gotham." Logan said, he didn't need to finish. I knew what he meant. Once we were back in Gotham Dad would go back to work and we would be back in school. Things would go back to normal again. Only they would be that new normal. The one that came after something traumatic. New boundaries would be built and trust would need to be reformed, if it ever reformed.

I was going to tell my brother that everything would be alright when a new car pulled up in the drive. It was a black four door with a government license plate. My heart started to skip a beat as I saw it. The FBI agents were the ones who normally used those cars. Had there been a new lead? Did they think Jon was here? and if they thought that then maybe his Grandma finally- nope no. I wasn't going to think that.

Jonathan's head appeared from the window of the passengers side. He motioned to me to come closer. Relieved I ran across the gravel drive without shoes wincing and internally pestering myself for not slipping on flip flops.

"Hey!" I said reaching out to his hands. They were cold and thin, like always, and that was a comfort. "What's wrong?"

Beside him was Agent Coldwell his face as pale as Jon's. "We have some bad news. The girl who was kidnapped as appeared."

The girl… right… there was that serial killer still out there. It wasn't that I forgot. It was I had turned my focus on something I thought I could control. My family on the other hand had chosen not to be controlled and so I was being sent into a blind panic.

"Jonathan can explain more. I need to head back to command and call come people. There is no cell reception out here." Agent Coldwell muttered as if he was amazed. Were Logan and I not caught in the middle of their dig because of the same problem?

Jon got out of the car and we moved to the grass to let Agent Coldwell move along. My hand reached out for Jon's, the touch was enough to ease my nerves. I needed to feel connection at that time. Even if it was a simple hand to hold, it was going to have to do.

"Lets go to our scarecrow." Jon said quietly.

Our scarecrow. I really loved how he said that. Our scarecrow. It was truly the way we had met. If I hadn't gone out there to tell the scarecrow about how stupid it was to be in the south I would never have met the boy next door. So going to our secret spot was the obvious place to be to talk about the next part of the investigation.

Jonathan paced back and forth his hands running through his unkempt hair. His form casted a long shadow over the ground. Every few steps he paused and looked at me, but shaking his head he continued his pacing. "I don't know where to start." He said after doing the start and stop for the tenth time.

"They found her body." I said, best to start at the most obvious part.

"Yeah.. This one wasn't buried. Seems our Killer knows we know now. The girl… her name was Tara Hill, she was nineteen. He left her out in an open field. Her body was still preserved like all the others, and she was wearing a black dress, hair, makeup, and nails. She had bruising on her arms and legs, like restraints I think."

"How did she die?"

"Heart attack. Again." He said taking a seat next to me. "They're thinking the girls are getting drugged with something. The process of preserving the body is really messing up any lab report they can get. They're thinking maybe another two weeks until they can get a clear reading. But they can't be sure."

I touched his shoulder and leaned closer. "Did she have the key on her neck?"

"Yup. They matched what they key belonged to. It goes to a simple padlock. Anyone can buy them anywhere."

"The dress? Those can't be just laying around?"

"The one she was wearing was from a thrift store. The killer must go looking for the right thing for his ritual. He's been doing this for years though… All these girls. He had to have lost someone, or is looking for someone."

"The perfect girl." I said nodding.

Jonathan smiled. "You think it's that simple? He's just looking for what? Love?"

"I'm still going for the whole key thing is about trust. He gives too much honor to these girls. They're more than girls, they're an idea."

Jon nodded and leaned into me. "They're someone he desires."

"No, they're something he desires." I said. "He doesn't touch them sexually. They are unattainable and he doesn't let himself have them."

"They're like… goddesses." Jon said the last word with an understanding that was like the whole world opened up to him. "Lynn, don't you see it? You're right. The key. It was the key."

A point of pride swelled in me. "I was right?"

"Yes. Lynn this guy he's looking for someone to look up to. We're looking for a middle age man who is looking for an embodiment of a goddess. He sees his goddess as young vibrant, someone with a strong personality, someone with brilliant red hair."

My insides squirmed as he said the part of red hair. It was true Heather had that beet red hair, but there was also the fact that I was a ginger hair. I reached up and touched one of the loose strands. Jon smiled at me and pulled my hand away. "You'll be fine. He's probably been watching the girls for months. You won't be on his list."

"So he wants a goddess. Why kill them?"

"Would you really want to be an idol for a man?" Jon said raising an eyebrow.

I didn't know. The thought of someone just worshiping me was a foreign idea. Girls didn't get worshiped, we were told how imperfect we were. If someone said I was perfect I didn't think I would mind… only the whole getting kidnapped part didn't really do it for me.

"So he kills them when they struggle against him." I said being as careful as possible in my choice of words. "Who is this guy then?"

"He's had mortuary experience, be it as a young man or as a part time thing. Then he had to have a strong woman in his life that left him. Someone that was his idol. He's been looking for another one since then. Also there's the fact that he knows the area, he knows where all the parties are. This goes to the theory that the killer is a local, someone who has always been here. He works a minimal job, probably in sales. But he's meek, so no big job promotions. The FBI should be able to discover more about him through that information. He might have gone and found a woman that fits the bill through a different means. Again the FBI should be able to narrow down suspects through that alone. Heck, if I wrote out everyone Morgan and I mentioned I bet I could figured it out."

Jonathan looked so proud. All that quiet self doubt was gone. For probably the first time in Jonathan Crane's life he knew he had done something no one else could. And to look at him, sitting there, the world now before him. Who cared if the next few months would be hell. He was right now in utter strength and power.

"I love you." I said. It was disjointed but i had to tell him. He had to know that he was the most brilliant man i had ever met. "You're amazing. If this is what cracks the case."

He nodded a large almost crazed grin grew on his lips and then covered all of his face. he looked like madness had taken him. Large glassy eyes, the big toothy smile. "I bet you it will." His hands slide to my arms. The coolness was blissful in the summer heat. The look in his eye, it wasn't madness, though many people did akin it's effects as one sometimes. No. Jonathan Crane, that prideful, logical mind finally felt something. I knew he would never say it. But I could feel it.

Our second kiss was leaps ahead of our first one. There wasn't nearly as much shy grinding teeth and overly wet lips. There was instead cunning quick movements on Jonathan's part. On mine there was a lot of quick thinking as I layed down on the scratchy grass. Our hands figuring out paths that had never been discovered. I found I like to touch Jon's collar bone. He on the other hand had a fascination with my stomach. To say we were instant experts in making out would be laughable. I flubbed up in one occasion where I tilted my head in at the wrong time and our noses collided making us both recoil. But with a short chuckle from the two of us we were back at each other. This wasn't a fight, but we were challenging each other.

Clouds rolled above us as we spent out innocent time just kissing and touching. I was too much of a chicken to ask for anything else. And Jonathan was by nature a gentleman. We didn't care though. We were sixteen, in love, and had just figured out how we were going to catch the killer.

I should have felt the temperature drop. The world around me was twisting into something much more sinister. The peace of our hidden sport was disappearing with the sound a clumsy feet, feet clothed in dirt speckled heels.

"Demon!" Shrieked the last voice I would have expected to come to our spot. Jon was balanced over me, me with my shirt showing my white fish belly, his hand firmly on my waist. My own hands were at his shoulders my fingertips at his throat. "I Should have known you would come here you little devil! Just like your Father's seed you are!"

The moment was gone, long gone. We were no longer two innocent kids, now we were two people trying to survive. Jon jumped up quickly blocking me from his Grandmother. "I'll take responsibility." He said, his voice carrying a deeper southern accent than I had ever heard from him.

The bitch reached out with one of her claw like hands and smacked him across the face. The force of the slap sent Jonathan down to the ground with a muffled yelp. I raced over to him to make sure he was alright. He wasn't though. his face just next to his ear had been nicked by the womens red talons. I reached out to comfort him, but he pushed me away. "Don't… she'll just make it worse if you touch me."

His Grandmother, the bitch of Georgia, took a looming step closer to us and hoisted Jonathan up by his arm. "You are no better than that no good mother of yours. I should have drowned you when you were a babe! You'll do nothing but add sin to this world you unclean heathen."

"Jon-" I called out getting up from the ground. Jon's face was looking at the ground. The cut was bleeding down his cheek and jaw. He looked up, those eyes filled with rage for a moment died out as his head was jerked up.

"Tell this whore what you're going to be doing boy. Tell her what you'll be doing and then say goodbye. This is the last time you'll ever see her." His Grandmother said in a hissing tone. Her smile was pinched a sadistic glee was filling her from where i was standing.

Jonathan looked right at my eyes. "She's going to lock me up… In the chapel, the birds will be the first day. The next will be the lashings… something like this will probably mean fifteen or so. Or… she'll make me tell her how many times I wanted you. Then she'll lash me that many times... "

The broken boy in front of me then stood tall. A darkness had moved into him, his deep accent hung havely and a dark smile, the kind of smile that belonged on a killer unfolded. "And when she's done I'll be writing you, Mail, smoak signals. I'll see you again. You can count on that Lynn. I ain't letting this bitch break me this time."

The attack was vicious but made a point. His Grandmother grabbed poor Jonathan by the throat and squeezed. I moved forward but he stuck out his hands to stop me. He had chosen to back talk her, not me. He was the one who would have to deal with the punishment.

"Devil. I will make you clean yet." She cursed. "I will pull out that spawn that the devil put into you. No dinner. If I have to starve it out I will!"

Jonathan was dragged back into the tall grass. His exit was made louder by his shaky breath. At least the bitch let him breath again. Better than him dieing right then in front of me. I took three steps to follow, but I remembered what Jon said. If I did follow it would only make his situation worse. All I could do right now was pray his punishment was quick. Pray it was quick and that he would find a way to contact me again…

* * *

I was in a fog.

Going back up to Betty's Logan pulled me aside. He could tell something had happened. I kept the descriptions pretty clean about what Jonathan's Grandmother was going to do to Jonathan. Logan did what he could, he really did, but there was only so much 'I'm sorry sis' he could do until he felt like a broken record. Instead he tried his best to switch my focus on that evening.

Yes, I was still going to that poor excuse this town calls a party. And I was planning on drinking. A lot. I couldn't go and save Jon, so I might as well drown out every last bit of feeling I had with shitty beer. After all what else was I going to do at a party?

Logan got us a lift from some kids from town. I stayed in the back seat my eyes trying to peer down Jonathan's drive to see if I could see anything. Maybe he would set his house on fire? Yes I was a bit sadistic in hoping he would kill that woman and get free. But I needed some kind of hope in that moment. If I didn't have that I would be looking up ways to get Jon out of that house, maybe even being so bold as to call the FBI and get them to look into what was happening.

The school kids drove us out to the same field where I had last seen Heather. My anger didn't let me really notice that. Not until much later. Instead I got out of the car and picked up the first beer I was handed and dark. In all my years I will never like the taste of beer. That bitter hoppy taste just didn't work with me. And the lacking amount of alcohol in the drink was making me have to work extra hard for my mission.

"Hey," Logan said pulling away from the group. "just sitting here drinking isn't going to help. What's Betty going to say when you get back?"

I looked up at him. "She can say anything she wants. I'm not her responsibility, even if Dad thinks I should be." I took another deep swig of my drink. "Go have fun. I'll be a downer all night anyway."

Logan let out a groan. "You say that and that means you're going to be depressed all night. How am I going to have fun knowing you're being pissy."

"I'm being pissy because my boyfriend might be getting killed by his psycho Grandma. Not much is going to cheer me up unless you have a flamethrower I could borrow and we torch the place down."

Logan shook his head. "You just want to be alone?"

"It's how I cope. Remember?" I said looking at him. He could see it the fight i had left in me.

Raising his hands he backed off. "Right. I'll hold your hair if you need to throw up."

"That's really sweet." I said, it was. who the hell holds your hair when you upchuck after a long night of drinking. Only those who really have your back. "I mean it."

"You'd do the same thing for me." He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I'm going to regale them with more stories of Gotham."

"Have fun."

Jogging back over to the group of teens I saw my brother light up the party. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was getting in really good it the rednecks. They were passing him beer and one girl with stringy blond hair was leaning on him. She had a t-shirt that might have been an american flag, well it's not a bikini but the boy got himself a girl who was at least willing to flirt with him. His summer must be going right on track.

Another group of teens walked up. One of them I knew as Bo, Bo Griggs was his name, or that's what Jonathan told me. The guy had an open plaid shirt with ripped jeans in… oh my god he was actually wearing cowboy boots. If I had to point at someone and call them the king of the rednecks I would point at Bo and say 'there he blows!'.

"No Scarecrow?" He said walking up to the truck. He had two other guys with him, all of them smiling that creepy half drunk smile. "Got tired of him already?

"I'm just here for my brother." I said not looking at them. "Could you just leave me alone. I'm really not in the mood to deal with you idiots."

The sun was close to setting giving the field a dreamy look. The last bits of sun setting fire to the sky, a purpley red faded in the soon deep night blue that came with the night. Near by a group of teens had gotten the bonfire started casting a slow orange glow over everyone. The glow hit Bo's face making him look even more brutish.

"Not in the mood." He laughed. "You know I think you figured out how much of a freak he is and now you've dumped him… or wait." He looked over at one of his mongoloid friends in a white t-shirt and slapped him on the arm. "Scarecrow broke up with you! He found out he would rather fuck a real cow over you."

My hand moved before my mind fully grasped what i was doing. My hand which was still holding the bottle of beer. The bottle collided with Bo's nose making a small crunching sound. "Don't you ever say that again." I said hopping off of the back of the truck.

Bo's nose was bleeding, and he cupped his face in his hand looking up at me. "The fuck!" He spat with actually spitting a mix of saliva and blood to the ground. "What the fuck was that for?"

"If you ever say something like that about Jonathan and me ever again I swear to you, I vow right here and now that you will suffer a tragedy beyond your wildest dream when you least expect it. You'll be happily going on long in life when that Scarecrow is going to jump out and give you your just reward."

Bo stumbled back like I had casted a spell on him. His friends muttering how they should just leave me be. I on the other end was fuming. I couldn't stay here. There was no telling what I would do next. Watching Bo and his friends get into their truck and dash off gave me the hope I wouldn't have any more trouble with them, but that didn't mean the rest of the party could turn sour to me once they figured out why he left.

The forest to my back looked like a good enough place to walk to. It was quiet and no one would follow me. I just needed a moment away from people. More than just the people, I wanted to get away form the damn country station they were blaring in every car that was pulled in the large circle.

Making my way to the cool forest I let my mind wander. If I had followed Crow's advice… maybe Jonathan wouldn't be getting flogged or starved… hell he could be getting his eyes pecked out by those fucking black birds. If I had just trusted Crow… And I had said all those terrible things to him…

Letting out a groan I found a log and sat my behind on it rubbing my hands to my face. "I'm sorry." I said, my voice drifting out into the woods. "Crow… if you can hear me… I'm sorry. You were right, okay! You knew she was catching on to what Jonathan and I were doing out in the fields. She knew and she found us. You were right… I'm sorry for not listening."

The woods around me creaked and moaned in the cooking air. If Crow did follow me around he would know I said something. The question was would he come and speak to me, tell me that it's alright I was a idiot. Maybe even take me back?

"Crow, if you can hear me… do something?" I asked my voice becoming bolder. "Go and save Jon. There's a cellar under the chapel with a door. Get him out of them and get him to the police. Please. I… I don't want to…" I stopped before I said 'lose him too.' that was just too sappy to say out loud. "Just… please…"

I let out my tears, my pain in the darkness of that wood. No one heard me though. Only the birds above and the trees around me. I got exactly what I wanted, to be alone while I cried. It wasn't what I expected. In my hopes of being alone I thought it would protect people. Protect Logan mainly. He didn't need to see my fear, my worry. He was hip deep in his own drama for me to add any onto him. So I kept my voice low as I let out everything. I let out how i felt about Dad, about Jonathan's Grandmother, the fucking black birds, the damn chapel, and about how stupid i was to let Jonathan go.

Feeling lighter I got up from the log pulling the hem of my peasant skirt to dry up the tears that were hanging on my cheek. Far away I heard some twangy song being played by the trucks. Also I heard a large booming group laugh. I could almost bet that was Logan telling one of his 'epic' tales from Gotham, each one growing more and more fantastic, all of them being stories we heard from the newspapers.

'I should go back. Put on a smile, and hope that Crow heard me and will do something for Jon. Jon wouldn't want me to suffer, so buck up and get strong already.' I told myself.

Taking in a large breath I gained enough courage to make my way back to the bad music and bad beer.

I was ready.

I has started walking. But with in three steps I felt something pinch my back. At first I assumed it was a bug of some kind, but as I tried to move my feet I came to the horrific conclusion that I wasn't moving, and that my limbs all of them were slowly turning into jello. I reeled around to see what was happening, my eyes catching on a black figure stalking toward me in a long elegant stride. Had Crow come for me? Oh god, what if-

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm a jerk, yup, I know it. I think in a few months I might rewrite the ending chapters for this. Don't know, comment on your thoughts if you like.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Later doctors will tell me what had knocked me out in the woods was an animal tranquilizer, it's a pretty standard things most hunters carry on them near Hemet because of the wildcat population. But what that stuff can do to a human isn't pretty, and after going through it myself I came away with a slight hatred of knockout drugs.

My mind wasn't in a place to think. It simply observed the new place I was in. All of it concrete, and all of it clean. The dark grey walls gave no hint to the origin of it's creation. Just smooth grey walls, floor, and ceiling. I wasn't able to move my head let alone my feet, so my eyes swiveled closer to me. A table of dark wood had been placed in front of me. On it expertly laid out… ritualistically laid out that is, was a black dress made of many layers of light as air material. It looked like something Persephone would wear when she had to live her winters with Hades. Beautiful and yet terrible.

Seeing the dress I knew exactly what happened. The killer, be it Crow or be it someone i hadn't met yet had found me. Jon had been wrong, the killer had taken an interest in me. I tried to scream, but I couldn't my body wouldn't do anything except for breath and think. Tears were burning at my eyes and my nose was working up a storm. I had been kidnapped and I would end up like all the girls before me. Dead. Being dressed as this sicko's idea of a goddess.

For hours I just had my thoughts to go through. What would I do once the killer got here. How could I survive longer than the rest of the girls before me? Could I get a message to the outside world, to someone to come and get me? Hours I thought and contemplation of what I was going to do.

The door at the front of the room started to sound with a number of clicks and grinding sounds. My heart almost gave out in fear. This was it. I was going to come face to face with the killer, be it Crow or whoever. I would get to know…

The figure who walked in was dressed in a white robe…. a white fucking robe? Really? In his hand was a tall thing of incense, I remember seeing a lot of the indie music stores carry sticks like that. The coil of smoke rose into the air around him as he started to mutter. What I could hear was something about a divine mistress who had found him in his daily life and how he was so happy to have me here. The chant was half talking half sung, like he had done this… well a million times before.

He paused about three yards away from me, his chant continuing. I didn't have any control over any part of my body. I looked down at my hands which were placed delicately on the armrest of the chair. Staring at the fingers I reached out to feel them. There was nothing but a numbness in my digits. My eyes looked back up at the bowing figure before me. What did he want? Was I right about him wanting someone to trust? If so I would find a way to make it work. There was no way I was going to die down here, not like this.

The man reached down to pull his hood off his face… I knew him. It was the guy from the Huntin… I mean hunting shop. The one I had asked about something to get rid of the crows. He had been so meek when I spoke to him. It all clicked into place. He used sedatives for animals that would be at his shop. If they were about to go out of date he would snag them up. No one was going to miss them anyway.

"Mistress." He said looking up at me. The look on his face was of joy, absolute joy. And in his fragile mind he was probably the happiest he would ever be… until he got another new girl. "You've come home. I knew it was you when you walked into my store. Your strength. I have never seen another like you."

I wasn't able to do anything. The sedative was still keeping me woozy, and I was only able to hear half of what he was saying. He continued anyway. "I know you are still unsure about what is happening. I have saved you. By bringing you home so you can remember why you are here."

Since the only thing I could control was my eyes I did the only thing i could. I stared at him. Most people don't like the boring constant gaze of another. Many find that it be unnerving. If I could unnerve him then maybe I could get him to go easy on me. Intimidate the little guy. It wasn't hard to do so when I was at the shop.

But my intimidation didn't work. Instead the insane man read it in a different way. His relieved smile grew as he nodded. "Yes, you remember. you know that you're my mistress. It's been in you all this time. All that controle that you had, you will tell me what I need, who I should become. Give me the punishments I need for not doing exactly what you said."

Punishments? controle? And he kept calling me mistress. The conversation I had with Jonathan about how this man was looking for his Goddess was becoming more and more accurate. The man, for whatever reason was looking for 'guidance'. I took a step back in my mind. I knew what game I had to play. Unlike all the other girls I knew what this creep wanted. He wanted punishments, that would be my sure way out of here.

"Mistress." He said nodding. "I understand, you're still not fully awake. I must go for now. I'll bring down something for you to eat. If it pleases you, please dress in the items I have here for you. I will return tonight. The medication I gave you will wear off by then." He muttered some gibberish and got up backing out of the room not turning his back to me. True to his word he brought down a large tray with a covering on it. But after that he was gone, leaving me alone with the quiet of the room.

For the next few hours I spent focusing on my fingers and toes. Willing them to move. Praying the medication would move quickly through my system so I could figure out a way out of there. And when my big toe first moved i could have sung… if I was able to move any other part of my body that is. Slowly from there the rest of me came around in a slow pins and needles sensation.

The first sound I made sounded like a strangled cat. But it was sound. My body didn't have quick reaction times for anything and I had to hold onto the chair… that chair being a black varnished throne with velvet cushions. By the time I was able to walk it was a stumbling toddler walk. Bowed legged, and awkward. In these hours I told myself I was making great progress.

I touched the black dress. It was vintage, probably bought at a thrift store a while back so no one would notice the strange purchase. It was a lovely dress, black with a greek inspired look to it. I just prayed it actually fit. As I slipped out of my clothes I pulled the black dress over my head and gasped as I noticed how well it fit. The ghasp became one of horror. How long had that man been looking at me? Since I walked into the Hunting store?

There wasn't a single mirror in the room so I had no idea what I looked like. But now that I was able to move around I could see what else was on the table. There was a black box that I slowly opened and saw a thick leather collar… one with a standard padlock. Next to it was a long chain with a key, the key to the padlock I guessed.

Moving over to the food I saw sliced cheese, fruit with crackers on the side. This was delicate stuff, something that a bird could nibble on. My stomach didn't care if it was garbage. I had no idea how long I had been out and the last thing I remembered eating was lunch. I had no appetite after what happened to Jonathan.

Jonathan… how was I going to get out of here and get to him? What if his Grandmother went off the deep end and. No, no I'm not going there. He was fine. Probably bandaged up somewhere and fine. I was going to get out of here and Jonathan would be fine.

I picked at the fruit, apples and oranges, basic things that could be picked up from your Food Lion. It was enough to sustain me. My mind was in sharper focus and was already trying to plan. The killer… whatever his name is would be home sooner or later. I knew not to try the lock, it had been locked when the killer left. Instead I had to think.

The Killer was looking for someone to be in charge of him. The whole punishment thing was something I was going to have to think of. What did he mean by punishment and what exactly did he want me to do?

My answer came maybe a few hours later, time is relative when you don't have any way to tell time is passing. The door started to unlock, it was a slow unlocking. I took this as my cue to run back to the chair and sit there properly. I folded my hands on my lap and locked eyes with the door. I had no plan, even with my hours of thinking I couldn't come up with anything concrete to get me out of here. So it was time I played it by ear.

Let the games begin.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

First off.. the killer, lets call him the Mr. Huntin, I don't remember his name, and even with people reminding me of it I choose to black it out. Mr. Huntin didn't stay down with me much. For five days we spent in this routine. First he would come into the room, a room which he sat up a nice bed for me, it was almost comfortable, but I didn't sleep much during that time. Mr. Huntin would walk in with a tray of food. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, all of it homecooked by him, most of it didn't get touched. From there I would spend two to maybe three hours with the man, him telling me about how wonderful life was going to be now that he had me. I stayed quiet not giving him much room to doubt my true intentions. After those few hours he would bring down lunch, this was a cold plate with cheese, meat, and sandwich making materials. I was also given books to read, but no computers, no phones.

I was starting to understand what he wanted from me. See Mr. Huntin was into BDSM, more on the domination submission side of things, later when I wasn't worried about dying I would come to learn that Mr. Huntin was doing everything wrong, if I couldn't guess by being kidnaped and all. I would understand that what Mr. Huntin was looking for was someone to trust in. The previous girls… they had rejected him in some fashion, he told me that straight out when I asked. There was an advantage I had over all of them though. I knew what this guy wanted, and I was willing to play along unlike them.

So on day number six of my captivity, I was devoted to keeping track of the days. If I was going to be stuck here for a long time I needed to remember there was an outside world. A world where the FBI were looking for me. A world where my Dad would be worried sick about what happened, and Logan would feel guilty about. Also it was a world where Jonathan was waiting.

Those facts kept me going on day six.

Mr. Huntin opened the door to the what I assumed to be his basement. Again he lugged a large TV dinner table in his arms and a large tray that would be my breakfast. He never ate with me. But he would make sure he stood there as he watched me pick at the food.

"Did Mistress sleep well?" He asked stooping over to me. He was dressed in the same stupid white robe as before. His hair hanging loose in his eyes.

"It was very good." I lied. I hadn't slept a wink the night before. Sometimes exhaustion took me, but right now, right now I was too alert to think of sleeping. "What have you made me boy."

Boy, he always asked to be called boy or pet, I didn't use the other terms he asked me to call him… They were too embarrassing. Boy was easy enough.. Even if it left me feeling dirty afterwards.

"We got ourselves some bacon, with two eggs, over easy, with some warm biscuits for you with my Auntie's favorite strawberry jam." He described. His southern accented voice catching the words making everything sound amazing. I hated my stomach for betraying me.

I nodded and with a lift of the tray cover I could smell the fat and meat. I never hated myself more than I did in that moment. Letting myself partake in the meal Mr. Huntin made for me I filled the empty hole in my stomach as he started to tell me about his work.

For being a long term serial killer he acted like any unsure idiotic hick. He was worried that the summer visitors will stay away from his store. There was some stupid problem with a particular type of ammunition that hadn't come in and people were clamouring for it. It sounded so fucking normal! This guy had killed a dozen girls because he wanted what? Someone to talk to? If that was so I would have to apologize to Crow twice as hard if I ever saw him gain. Crow is sane, this guy belonged in a nut house.

Finishing my plate Mr. Huntin then looked at me with this big hopeful grin. This was part of his fantasy, to have his 'Mistress' at his disposal. "I will be home by six o'clock, I swear I'll be there and I'll be thinking about your words of guidance during work. Do you have any for me today?"

Fuck, he had been asking me this since I just sat down and ate my breakfast. Six days into this and I was unsure what to say to him anymore. i had done the whole 'be true to you' and 'look to yourself' stuff Mom always threw at people who thought they would pester a doctor about their life. But I had to tell him something.

"If you don't look past yourself you'll never go anywhere." I muttered not looking for my food.

He nodded like i had just spoken the word of god. "Of course. You are so right. Thank you Mistress." He said picking up my tray. "I will do that while I work. Thank you for your wisdom!"

When he was gone was the worst part of my day. I had hours to myself to just think. And most of the time that's what I did. I thought about what I would do to trick the guy, make him slip up. Sooner or later he was going to think I trusted him, maybe he would let me outside. Or I could distract him so he didn't lock the door behind him. Anything really to get me to the outside world.

My dress was replaced every day with a new extravagant black dress. All of them were in the same greek goddess vein in taste. I also spent hours braiding my hair so it looked 'presentable', but it's almost impossible to know what you look like without a mirror.

The other objects he brought down for me to distract myself with were harmless things, paper, pencils so I could write for draw. I was an awful artist, but I did chose to write. Not that I'm a great writer either, but having a way to write down my thoughts… of course they weren't my real thoughts, they were the ramblings of a girl who was so happy to have found her pet. Ugh, I still get shivers thinking that.

On the sixth day of my captivity probably a little before six I heard footsteps from up stairs. Mr. Huntin must have gotten home sooner than he anticipated. I picked myself up from the sitting position on the bed he had pulled out and walked over to the dark wood throne.

But Mr. Huntin didn't show up.

I wiggled around in the seat thinking who else it could be. From what I had gathered Mr. Huntin lived along, he had to to keep up his strange rituals. He didn't have that many friends either. Or at least no friends that would show up at his house, for the same reasons why he didn't live with anyone. That could only mean one thing.

I rushed from the chair and up to the door. If I knocked and it was Mr. Huntin I would have to pull a fast one and explain I needed to require his company and that he didn't come down like he normally does, and that was poor fashion, or something like that to get him off me. If it wasn't then I might have found my one way ticket out of this place.

So forgetting all the delicate polite knocks I slammed my fist into the door three times. Pausing I winced pulling back, I was a delicate butterfly, the door was not. But I ignored the pain and continued the rhythmic knocks hoping someone upstairs would hear. I kept myself from yelling for help, that would not be something explained away if Mr. Huntin walked in.

I could hear footsteps from the other side. They were longer paced steps than Mr. Huntin, a jolt of relief came through. That wasn't Mr. Huntin, maybe the FBI had found me at last. "Excuse me, is there someone out there?" I asked my heart made it hard to hear with it's pounding.

From the other side the footsteps stopped. I pressed my ear to the door waiting for a voice, and when it came… it sent shivers up my spine.

"Little Lynn is in quite a pickle… Almost like Jonny Boy."

I backed away from the door. Crow. He had found me. Out of everyone who was possibly looking for me Crow had been the one. "Crow." I said as clearly as possible. "Where's Jon?"

"Well I'll give you the bad news first since that's what you asked." He said in a matter of fact tone from the other side of the door. "Jonny is stuck in that fucking chapel at the moment, good part of that is I slipped him a knife, so he can gut those birds if need be."

"You slipped him a knife?"

"He'll find it, won't know it's me, but he'll find it. He probably doesn't know you've been taken yet. Once he does I'll be able to hear the shit storm from my hiding place." There was a deep chuckle after that.

"Is there any good news? Is the FBI going to come for me? Did you call them?"

"Hun," Crow said his voice gaining a stern tone. "Unless Jonny breaks out of that chapel no ones going to figure out who this guy is. Want to know the best part. He actually pinned who the guy was while stuck in the chapel. Said his name over and over, I heard and made a beeline to see if he was right. Seems like the boy was right."

"Crow, how are you going to get me out of here? Can you see the locks on the other side." I asked pressing myself to the door again.

"Well that is where we'll be getting some more bad news."

My heart sank. "What do you mean?"

"There are five locks here all of them require a key. Unless you know where this guy hides his spares you'll be stuck here until he comes home and I deal with him."

I didn't like the sound of Crow dealing with someone. Through all my time sitting on my rooftop with the black cloaked figure I knew that Crow was hiding something. Maybe he was a master in some ancient kung fu, more likely he knew how to throw a good punch. Mr. Huntin was not very fit physically, sure he can lift a lot of dead weight, but he was short, stocky in a bull dog kind of way. Crow… well he was like the bird he called himself, elegant, and if enraged, deadly.

"Don't get hurt," I said. "I.. I'm sorry about what I said the last time we spoke."

"Honey, you and I both had a lot of apologize for. Though right now is not the time. I think our friend has just arrived. That or someone else is coming in for a clandestine visit to a captured girl. Stay away from the door."

I did as Crow said and raced back to the black throne. I sat my rump down and gripped the armrests. What was Crow going to do? Was he going to snap the guys neck? Or would he knock him out and let the FBI have a shot at the guy? I didn't know if I wanted Mr. Huntin to stay alive or be killed mercilessly by Crow. Sure he hadn't harmed a hair on my head… but he had killed so many other girls.

Upstairs I heard the long strides that I guessed to be Crow. Who knew how that Crow had long legs… I mean it did make sense looking back. Soon after Crow's steps died out there was a more hurried shorter steps. These were Mr. Hunting, he had a short gate and his thundering steps could be heard anywhere in the house. I tried to focus on the footsteps figuring out what each of them were doing. But it was nothing but a tapdance without a beat.

Chewing on the inside of my lower lip I waited. God I hated waiting. There was no sign of knowing what Crow was doing up there, and Mr. Huntin sounds like he's getting ready to see me. I think I heard the water turn on at some point, but by then I think my mind was playing tricks on me. Every squeak of the floors upstairs could be life or death for me and for Crow.

There was a clamor of feet above me, and muffled voices. Then there was a shout, but I couldn't tell if it was Crow or Mr. Huntin. The shouting continued as I heard some glass shatter and a sound of a gun going off. That sent me jumping from my seat. If Mr. Huntin got to one of his guns…

Another gun blast made me dance around the room as I looked above me trying to place where each of them were. That's when I heard the screams. Like the mouth of hell had been opened and the originator of the screaming was looking into it. The screaming continued getting louder and louder, I feared whoever was screaming would go mute with the assault.

The scream ended with a sudden shot of the gun that sent a shiver down my spine. Was there a body upstairs waiting for me to see. No matter who came through the door I would know someone was no longer in the living world. Loud clomping steps came to the door and a fumble of keys. I backed away looking around the room for anything that could be protection incase Mr. Huntin thought I was no longer the perfect 'mistress'. My only weapon were the books he gave me, the books and the pen I used to write in my journal.

I picked up the pen and held it out before me. Inside my heart was threatening to come out of my chest. There was no getting out of this alive if Mr. Huntin came in.

The door swung open and there in the darkened doorway… wasn't either of them? Or it wasn't Mr. Huntin because he was way too tall. And he couldn't be Crow because.

"Lynn," But the voice coming from the thing in the doorway sounded like Crow.

Crow had absconded with the scarecrow that Jonathan and I sat under. Our personal counselor. The face of the scarecrow had be mutilated so there was a wide sneering mouth. The eyes were covered by something that wouldn't let me see inside of them. The large shirt and pants hung on Crow, like a child wearing their parents clothing. He looked… frailer than I thought he was. All that time on the roof I had painted him as this formidable creature.

Throwing myself across the room I wrapped my arms around the thin creature who stood frozen as if by shock. My face went to the crook of his neck as I held on for dear life. "Crow! Thank god!" There was something wet on my face and I pulled back to see that I was crying and getting Crow's shirt wet. But my head was pressed back a soft 'shushing' sound from Crow told me to keep crying.

"You're safe. He's dead."

"Dead!" I looked back up at the burlap face.

"Sooner or later he was going to kill you. As soon as you said no to him he would drug you like he did all the other girls and then kill you." Crow's hand patted my hair. "Best that he rots in hell for eternity."

Crow was right. I knew he was, but thinking about how calm Mr. Huntin was… just this morning… And now he was dead? There could have been another way. I could have helped him.

Crow lead me up a set of narrow stairs where I came to a home I had never seen before. It was a second rate redneck home, with pine wall paneling, dark green carpet from the seventies. The walls had a lack of character as I passed them. This was a home of a man who existed, not someone who lived. We were just about to turn to go outside… when I saw a foot. It was sticking in the middle of a doorway, a pale foot with blisters on the heel.

"How did you kill him?" I asked as Crow placed a hand on my waist to get me outside in the awful heat.

"There's this thing Jonny's been working on. To get rid of the crows in the chapel for good."

I remembered what Crow was mentioning. It was pretty effective against the crows at the time. "You got some of it from Jonathan?"

"It seems the effect on humans is much worse. The man… well… I don't think I'll give you the gory details Lynn. You don't need to know how he ended himself, just know that he did and if they try to find out why he killed himself they'll just find a curious compound that could have come from anywhere."

My breathing was steadying as I looked around. Everything was darkening now and soon it would be night. "I need to find the police."

"With the gunshots someone would have called. I'll stay until I hear the sirens." Crow's head twitched as if listening. "And they aren't coming yet."

I leaned into him feeling comforted. "I had hoped someone would come for me. I was making the best of the situation, making him believe I was into what he wanted. Just… I'm glad it was you. You and I didn't have that nice of words last time we spoke."

"I was angry." Crow muttered. "But you were right about something Lynn." I looked up at the burlap face with it's jagged smile. "You do keep Johnny sane. You give that boy a huge amount of hope. Every time he was thrown in with the crows he kept telling himself he would get through it and see you again. When he found out you were taken… I heard so much squalling in that chapple. I bet you he gutted each and every one of those birds."

"He might be with the FBI trying to get permission or whatever to get here." Even with the time I spent with Jonathan talking to the agents I had no clue how the FBI actually went after a killer.

Crow shook his head. "They'll be here soon enough and you'll know."

"What do I tell them?"

"The killer left the door unlocked when you slept you came up stairs and heard the gun shots, he was getting paranoid that someone was after him, common for a killer in this point of his life I would think. But you came up and well. All you needed to see was his foot to know he did himself in."

Crow wrapped his arms around me so I pressed my back to his front. In my mind I thought of large black wings holding me close. Leaning back I felt Crow need to steady himself. "You'll be alright." He muttered.

I turned facing the burlap face, Crows arms were still around me in a protective hug. What I did next… it was going to complicate the relationship I had with Jonathan. It didn't take much to do it. Briefly a shifting my head up and closer… I kissed Crow on the jagged mouth, the burlap was rough against my lips and underneath I felt Crow shake as he returned it.

Pulling away I looked up at him feeling heavier now. "Jonathan…"

"He was the one who should have gotten that. I know."

The sound came from a distance, far off and wheeling through the air. Police sirens. Crow looked down the dirt road that the house was connected to. "You're police will be here soon."

"I was going to say," I said stopping him from going just yet. "that though Jon should've had that his. I'm glad it went to the person who saved me. To you Crow. I owe you my life."

A gloved hand moved to my face, and now I wished I could see what Crow actually looked like. But he didn't care as he pulled me up, this kiss was rougher, not because of the burlap, but because the person underneath was carrying a passion that was now released through this simple act. When Crow let me go I could tell he was breathing deeply. "Maybe… I'll be watching."

Crow then bolted, running from me and into the thick wood where he disappeared into the darkening light. As he did the sirens were getting louder moving closer and closer to me. The first car was a black sedan that was glowing like a disco. The passenger side door swung open and Agent Coldwell rushed out and walked briskly up to me. "Lynn! Lynn, do you know where you are?"

"I'm free."

* * *

Author's Notes: I don't know if anyone caught the flub up Crow made? If you caught it keep it in mind for later.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Something they don't tell you about real interviews, they take their sweet ass time. I had to stick with what Crow told me and after twenty times repeating myself I was half convinced on the lie. The agents were nothing but comforting as I explained over and over who the killer was and what he did to me and what he had confessed to me about the other girls.

I was given a new set of clothes, sweat pants and a t-shirt that said FBI on them. The dress was collected into evidence along with everything else in that house. I also had a large cup of tea in front of me, hot tea, made by one of the agents. Agent Coldwell to his credit was very kind and when I asked if he had seen Jonathan he shook his head.

"His Grandmother says he won't come out."

I was tempted to tell them the truth, about what she did to him. Only I was being let go and back into the loving arms of my family.

My Father had a awful sunburn that gave him a raccoon look to his face. But the utter joy made me forget that he had been more than willing to abandon me only a week ago. "Lynn!" He shouted rushing over to me. We hugged and, for the first time in my life… Dad cried. I don't remember much of what he said. He did apologize, asking me how I could forgive him for leaving me like this. There was stuff about how he had been blind and that he should pull closer to his children.

Logan on the other hand had this sensor look. The first thing he said I would never forget. "Knew you didn't die." He grinned with this stupid confidence. "I would know it."

The three of us just stood there hugging. I knew outside the police station there was going to be a hoard of people wanting to look at me. I didn't want any of them. There was only one guy I wanted to see.

"Have either of you seen Jon?" I asked looking up at my Father and Brother.

Logan took a deep breath to speak when Dad cut him off. "We'll stop by his house when we get home. No way Mrs. Keeney can keep the two of you away now, right?"

I held back my scathing remarks on 'Mrs. Keeny'. Dad was just happy to have me back alive and relatively unharmed. We were able to get to our car, blissfully Betty was not with us. She was left at home to make me my 'favorite' meal. I doubted she actually was making my favorite meal or maybe she was convincing John's Grandmother to let him go. That would be a fight I would want to see, only so I could see the two come to blows.

The press of the reporters were omnipresent as I got into dad's SUV, Logan opened the door for me. The question the reporters had would go unanswered until Agent Coldwell or one of his people dealt with them. I would get to read the paper and the web article that the reporters painstakingly recreated the place I was living in.

When we drove down the gravel road I looked for the scarecrow… it was gone, Crow had taken that scarecrow after all, it hadn't been my imagination. The crushing thing was the grass had all be cut between Betty's and Jonathan's house. The once safe place for me was gone, probably because of the search they took care of where I liked to run off to first.

Getting out of the car I felt it, Crow was watching me somewhere. And that small thing gave me comfort. I had someone to watch my back.

"Lynn!" Said the other voice I had been wanting to hear since I first woke up from the party.

Jonathan was bolting from the wrap around porch of Betty's house. She had left him outside with a jug of sweet tea, that got me smiling. Jon didn't wait for my dad to give permission, he pulled me into him and held me. "You're home. It's all good."

I pulled away smiling up at him. "I'm fine Jonathan… I promise." Tears were welling up. "I was worried about you."

That got the guy laughing. "That's you isn't it? Sure you're locked up by some madman and all you can think about is your boyfriend locked up in a chapel."

"I missed you Jon."

Jonathan smiled and touched my hair. "I missed you too."

* * *

It took Dad less than two days to get everything packed. We were given the all clear from the FBI that we could leave the state. To say he was done with the south would be too far, he was done with the memories this place now had. I doubted if I would ever come back to Hamlet, especially once Jonathan was out of here.

Speaking of my southern boy. We were standing hand in hand as Dad and Logan finished up the last bit of loading the car. Jonathan had a sheet of paper that had my phone number, house address, and my e-mail. There was no way in hell I was letting him disappear on me. We worked out that Jonathan could send letters and once he could get to town to use a payphone and call me. It wasn't going to be easy, we knew that.

"This place is going to be dull without you." He said a small smile growing, but the smile was really holding back his tears. "You know.. no killers out there to take my vengeance out on… I wish."

"No you don't." We had this conversation, Jonathan kept saying he should have been the one to find me. Me, I was glad he was alive with minimal scarring. I reached up and touched his face, with that simple touch he uncoiled and smiled.

"I'm not sure how I'm going to survive." He said.

"You'll think of something." I said nudging him. "I mean, what less that ten months and you'll be in Gotham? Logan and I can take you to get an honest to goodness Gotham style hot dog, and I can show you all the cool parks."

Jonathan nodded. "It's still going to be hell,"

I tugged on Jon's shin and pulled him down for a kiss. He can get all broody once I'm gone. Right now I needed him to look strong, at least for me. Selfish I know. Just knowing that he will pull through would get me in higher spirits.

"Lynn." Dad said slamming the trunk of the car. "We're done."

Dad and Logan walked up. Dad shook Jonathan's hand and muttered something about calling us once Jon knew how he was going to get to Gotham. Logan was looking at his feet his face wracked with a painful look.

"So… I'm sorry about calling you a creep." Logan said. "You've done right. I'll see you in May?"

"You can show me more cat pictures." Jonathan said his voice was cooler than I would have liked.

Logan nodded and looked up at Jonathan, there was something the two of them weren't saying. Something had passed between them and now they weren't going to talk about it. Jonathan nodded. "You should get going if you're going to be back in Gotham by midnight."

Dad and Logan nodded and made their way back to the car. I turned for my last goodbye. Jonathan wasn't looking at me, those tears for both of us were getting harder to hide.

"I'll call you." He said looking up. "Thursday? Around three?"

"That would be great." I said nodding. "I'll write you."

"Lynn-" He started but something stopped him in mid sentence. Like a master Jonathan put on a large smile. "If you ever need to talk. I'm here."

I was done with talking. Reaching out I pulled him close and into a forceful hug that made us both lose air. Only ten more months. That's all it would be. He would be back in Gotham in ten more months.

"Lynn!" Logan shouted from the car.

I let go of Jon and kissed his cheek we both had waterworks going now. Both of us snot and salty tears. With a small nod from Jon I backed away and got into the car. Logan looked over at me with a sour pout.

Dad turned on the local country station as he made a u-turn in the grass, Betty could throw a fit, I didn't care, and we were heading back down the road. It was at this point Logan leaned in.

"Lynn… I need to tell you something?" He said his voice was hushed so only I could hear it.

"What?"

"When you disappeared I went looking for Jonathan. I went to that chapel you told me about… Lynn." He paused his face was pale as he said the next few words. "There was nothing there but dead birds, about ten of them all ripped apart. That was three days before you were found. Where the hell was he in that time?"

I knew where he was… I knew it deep in my bones. I turned to look through the back window to see Jonathan Crane, he was standing in the field where the scarecrow once stood. Crow… and Crane, they were the same bird weren't they? Jonathan had been Crow all along… or maybe part of Jonathan was Crow. No matter what I knew that it was Jonathan under that scarecrow outfit. And if that was true… I had just witnessed the first kill of someone to be feared.

* * *

Author's Notes: And now Lynn gets it. I'll admit between this chapter and the next are the two scenes that were stuck in my head when I first made up this story. Be prepared because this isn't the end! I have one more chapter that's going to be a surprise for you guys.

Also a large thank you to EveApplefield, your reviews have been wonderful. I plan on keeping a status update on my profile about how the second story is going.


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jonathan Crane:

Lets get a few things straight before we press on. Lynn, she hasn't been truthful. She sees me as this innocent good guy that swooped in and saved her. I didn't. Yes saving her was a goal, but in the end there was only one thing I wanted. That fuker dead.

**Harsh words Jonny Boy.**

Another thing Lynn isn't so truthful about, is I'm already crazy. I've been messed up in my own head since I was ten, that was the first time the Bitch threw me into the chapel. You don't come out 'normal' after that. You come out different, and not as whole.

**That's putting it lightly, you made me, unless you're going to be like Little Lynn and tell them that you have everything under 'control'?**

I'm going to be honest, Crow. Crow has been with me since I was ten, he's more his own person than he is a part of me. I don't have enough training to go any further into detail. It was my plan to go into Psychology to understand how I became this way.

**You know other than the Bitch of the South tortured you for all your life.**

Yes.

Now there is one more fact I must clear up. And for me it's an important one. Not because Lynn isn't a wonderful person. No, please do not doubt how much I care for her.

**We care for her.**

Exactly.

Lynn does not see herself in a good light. Sure she calls herself a protector, and she does. I would be dead this summer if she hadn't shown up. But she doesn't see herself as the smart girl she actually is. Also, she doesn't see herself physically. Let me guess. All this time, this whole story, Lynn has said she was 'fat'?

No, She isn't some waife who could pass for a model. Crow looked at her tags at one point and told me she was in large shirts and size ten pants, hardly 'fat'. This should have been a warning sign, but that's for another day I think. I myself was not ready to let Lynn leave my little town. And Crow can attest it took all my strength not to slit my Great Grandmothers throat and follow Lynn up in Gotham.

**The Bitch gets her just desserts in the end.**

Later Crow. Lets tell them what I was thinking as Lynn left on that hot July morning.

* * *

Lynn was dressed for a long car ride, sweat pants, that one blue tank top that really brought out the red in her hair. I had gotten the paper with all her contact information, It was being held onto for dear life. I had found someone who was willing to work it me. Yes I have said some harsh things about her, but in the end, she means well. And that is a fact I cannot forget or let slip through my fingers.

When I had first saw Lynn it was her ranting like a lunatic to the scarecrow near my house. I had put the straw man up over the fall and it was getting to be time to change out the straw when I saw this girl just chewing out my scarecrow. She continued to surprise me with her bull headed determination. She was there for me, I would have lost myself fully she was there not questioning why I had to solve Heather's death.

"This place is going to be dull without you." I said smiling at her. Lynn like Heather was the only person who I felt safe enough to smile around. "You know, no killer for me to… take my vengeance out on." Oh but I had. He got a good dose of that crow repellant I was making. His screams.

**Oi, Jonny, keep on track.**

"I wish." I started.

Lynn reached up and touched my face. I didn't pull away anymore. Sooner or later she would know all of me. "No you don't."

"I'm not sure how I'm going to survive." And that was the truth. For the last sixteen years of my life I had been in survival mode. Get to the next day, and the day after that, and the week after that. Now I had to get through a year until I was free.

Lynn though, she knew exactly what to say. "You'll think of something." She said nudging me. "I mean, what less than ten months and you'll be in Gotham? Logan and I can take you to get an honest to goodness Gotham style hot dog, and I can show you all the cool parks."

It sounded nice when she said it. I couldn't fathom the idea of actually getting out of here. "It's still going to be hell,"

That's when her Father and Brother walked up. I liked Logan. But I could also read him better than he could himself. He was all talk in a way. Similar to how Bo always puffed out his chest when a pretty girls walked by. Logan had a similar problem, one that he would probably overcome with maturity and a bit more self confidence.

Lynn's Father shook my hand in a painful handshake. I had mixed feelings about the older man. He did leave his kids in the middle of nowhere with a killer on the lose. But after Lynn was taken I saw a small change. Lynn will call it a peace offering between them. But I doubt the distance her father brought on would ever be closed. Sometimes scares don't let the wound fully heal. But I will give Lynn's Father this. He was making up for the shit he had done. Starting with me. See, we had worked out the details of me living with them once I graduated and was waiting for college to begin. I didn't know how I was going to get to Gotham, but even if I had to hitchhike my way there I would be in Gotham soon enough. The first round of acceptance letters came out in september, and with my grades and personal essays, there was no way they would say no to me.

Logan came up with that guilty look. He should feel guilty, it was his fault Lynn was at that party. She had been left alone when she was vulnerable and then was kidnapped. I was fortunate that I had figured out the rest of the profile while I watched those birds disembowel themselves. Crazy thing the new crow repellant did. Did something similar to humans too. That man ended his life for me. I only had to throw the repellant at his face and wait.

"So… I'm sorry about calling you a creep." Logan said. "You've done right. I'll see you in May?"

It was time I started to make friends. If he was going to keep my secret then we may as well put the past behind us. "You can show me more cat pictures."

Logan nodded, good he knew where the line was now. He might tell Lynn, I was fine with that. If she found out and thought me her savior so be it. What could she do? Tell people a scarecrow saved her? No. She would keep our secret if her brother's lips were too loose."You should get going if you're going to be back in Gotham by midnight."

**Giving the guy a way out, smart move Jonny Boy. Also I like the idea of Lynn seeing us as her savior, she did give me a rather nice-**

Crow.

**Got it, still touchy about that.**

Once her Father and Logan were looking away I knew I wasn't going to last long. Yes I'm a hateful person, but I did have feelings. Right then I was about to lose the one person who could tolerate Crow and myself for more than a few hours.

**And if that ain't the definition of love I don't know what is.**

So my tears were reasonable, but for Lynn's sake I tried to hold them back.

**Always the gentleman. I would just grab the girl and kiss her. Or we could still run to the house and kill the Bitch and run off to Gotham.**

No Crow.

"I'll call you." I said looking back up at her. "Thursday? Around three?"

Lynn smiled, she has this sweet innocent smile. Refreshing like the honeysuckle that grows in Betty's yard. "That would be great. I'll write you."

She would write, by the end of this year she would write me a novel in letters. And because of her honesty to me, her cenerity more likely, I felt like I had to say something.

"Lynn-"

**Oh no Johnny boy, if you do that she could make a big scene right here. You ain't doing that.**

Crow took over in that moment. Even made sure I sounded like myself too, He was always good at watching my back. I should trust him more often. "**If you ever need to talk. I'm here**."

**That was from me to her, no point in you getting all the goodbye.**

Lynn was done with talking. She reached out and pulled me close. That girl has a mighty strength when she wants to. She held me close curling into me. Like that I remembered how she felt with Crow when we saved her. It was a moment of peace before the coming storm.

"Lynn!" Logan shouted from the car.

Now we were both crying. Tears of loss, of sorrow, of miss timed romance.

**And that's Jonathan Crane folks for emoting teen in a Fanfic!**

Crow. Stop it.

Lynn kissed my cheek, it was a light peck. and like a blue and red bird she backed up to the car where Logan was shooting me the stink eye. Watching her dad drive through Betty's grass gave me a small bit of delight. I made sure to walk over to where our demolished hiding place had been. Only the pole remained. In a few months I would rebuild the scarecrow, but for now I had to wash out the blood stains that were on it.

Watching Lynn's car leave I saw her face turn and from the back of the car she looked at me.

**He told her.**

She'll talk to me. Sooner or later she'll ask me about you. That's when I'll tell her everything. If she is as strong as we think she is… she'll listen.

**Fuck Jonny Boy. We killed that man.**

Killed him and saved Lynn. We stopped him from hunting. And the look on his face when he screamed… Crow… I need to look into that. Into fear itself. That's what FDR said right? 'Nothing to fear, but fear itself', seems like I've made raw fear in that gas. I'll keep it as my pet project. Maybe I'll toss a hand full of it in Great Grandmother's face as I leave this shit hole.

**And Bo and the other kids.**

I couldn't help but smile. "Bo and the others will learn what real fear is. I'll burn this town to the ground so I will never have to come back here. I'll swear to that."

"DEVIL! Get Back in here!"

**And she calls. Do you think she'll flog you again?**

When she found all the dead crows I think she'll learn that she can't scare me so easily any more.

I have a dream… and it's a nightmare.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that's what they call a wrap. This has been a great experience guys. All of you have be just wonderful. My next fanfic is a sequel to this, so far the title is called Second Chance. It's going to be a little over ten years after the events in First Kill and deals with Lynn and Jonathan in a very different situation. I want to give a thanks to all those who reviewed, every time I saw a positive review for this story I would spend the rest of the day dancing around. If anyone is curious about my status about stories I'm more than happy to PM updates to those who ask.

Now until my next story I'll be signing out.


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